As the Tides Change
by SnowWolf22
Summary: "Sometimes in the waves of change, we find our true direction." Season one. Slowburn.
1. Ripples

**Important A/N at bottom!**

* * *

 **Young Justice is not mine.**

* * *

 **Ripples**

 _"You can't cross the sea merely by standing and staring at the water."_

 _-_ Rabindranath Tagore

* * *

 **GOTHAM CITY**

"You are the hero Gotham deserves, Nightfall."

A mischievous smirk stretched across her thin lips, blue eyes glistening in the moonlight as brown locks swayed in the breeze. The girl wasn't fazed by the comment as she turned to face the caped crusader, who wore a defeated expression as he stared out at what once was his city.

 _Oh how the mighty have fallen._

"I was wondering when you were going to come to your senses, Batman." Nightfall brushed the hero off and stepped around him to crouch down on a ledge, eyes flickering over the quiet city below.

Behind her, Batman grumbled quietly to himself. It was hard for a man of his nature to admit this fourteen year old hero was a superior hero to himself, and it took his young protégé's input to help him realize it.

Yes, Robin had agreed shortly after meeting Nightfall that she was the one that was going to make Gotham a better place. In fact, he had relinquished his role as Robin to the girl, handing over his cape and utility belt in the process. And now the young hero sported the gifted cape and utility belt proudly alongside her own hero garb.

"I relinquish my-"

 _"Kayanna."_

Nightfall blinked as she turned to face the Dark Knight, who looked as equally confused as her. With a shake of her head, she urged, "I'm sorry, you were saying?"

"I was saying that, I relinq-"

 _"Kayanna!"_

There it was again!

Nightfall spun around in a circle and shouted to the sky, "Okay, who's there?" The world around her began to shift and crumble, Gotham fading into the distance as Batman dissolved right before her eyes and the girl felt anxiety bubble up from within herself as darkness closed in on her.

 _"Kayanna, wake up this instance!"_

 _Wake up? I am awake! Batman's giving me his city-_

"Kayanna!

And the next thing the girl knew, she was soaking wet.

She shot up with a cry of shock, blue eyes wide, as she spluttered, "B-Batman, I accept your city!"

Koda quirked an unamused brow as he let out a deep sigh, watching as his daughter slowly put two and two together as to _where_ she was and _why_ she was suddenly drenched with water. Kayanna rubbed at her eyes, shaking off some of the water in the process before her lips quirked up in sheepish smile as she faced her father, who looked less than please.

"H-hi dad…"

"What do you think you're doing?"

Yeah, he was _definitely_ annoyed. The vein in his forehead was most _definitely_ throbbing!

Kayanna stood up from the bench, stretching slightly and doing her best to avoid her father's annoyed gaze, "Resting my eyes?"

"We were on a quick _break_ , Kayanna, not nap time."

Always the serious one he was…

Slightly irked, the young girl rolled her eyes before using her powers to remove the water from her body and drying herself off in the process. And she may have been less than cautious about where the water ended up as she watched, from the corner of her eye, her father hold out a hand to block the water from hitting himself.

"Sorry, Mr. _Marine_ , some of us aren't used to getting only _four_ hours of sleep at night. I mean, who trains at _five_ in the morning!" She threw her hands up and gestured at the clock that hung across the room on a wall.

It read 5:42. They had only been training for twelve minutes.

"People who take being a superhero seriously."

Kayanna pouted as she turned back towards Koda, a frown on her face, "I'll have you know, I take superhero-ing _very_ seriously!"

"Kayanna, this isn't a joke." He stepped towards his daughter, expression softening slightly as a disheartened expression settled on her face. It was hard for him to _not_ be harsh and maybe _slightly_ overbearing, but this was his only daughter- and he knew firsthand how dangerous crime fighting- and just battle in general- could be.

If Kayanna couldn't realize that, then he _really_ didn't want her out in the field.

With a huff, the girl flopped back onto the bench as she began to fiddle with the ends of her hair. She focused her gaze on the floor, staring intently at the cement and tracing the small cracks with her eyes, "I know it's not."

"Well, you could've fooled me." Koda surmised as he sat down beside his daughter, who looked up at him with annoyed eyes. It didn't take a mind reader to know that he was gearing up for another one of his 'overprotective daddy' speeches- which Kayanna got about _once_ a week, if not more! His favorite thing to do was to remind her that she was 'daddy's little girl'.

It drove Kayanna nuts, even if he did mean well.

"I just want to keep you safe, okay? That's why I stress training so much. Bad guys won't take it easy on you like I will, and I don't know what I'd do if you got hurt in the field. This is serious work, Kayanna, and I need to know that you're serious about it."

"But I _am_ serious about it!" Kayanna urged, angling her body towards her father, "I've been training my ass-"

"Language."

" _-butt_ off extra hard for the past three months! And for what? You let me do _nothing_ on patrols!"

(Technically Koda had been training Kayanna ever since her powers had shown up when she was _nine_ , but she had only been training like a _superhero_ for the past three months.)

"You helped me with that bank robbery last night." Koda reminded the girl with a soft grin.

"You made me stay with the hostages while you kicked the bad guy's _butts_." She corrected him in a deadpan voice, face less than amused.

Koda held his hands up in mock surrender, shaking his head, "You were _protecting_ those hostages, were you not?"

With a huff, Kayanna crossed her arms and diverted her gaze to the floor once more, "You still don't let me do anything."

"You've only been in the field for _three_ months, Kayanna. These things take time." The young brunette opened her mouth once more, preparing to argue further, but her father cut her off, wanting to cut the argument short before it could further escalate.

After all, Kayanna had to get her stubbornness from somewhere.

"We'll pick training back up at nine." Koda stood up from the bench and grabbed his water bottle before tossing his towel over his shoulder. At the sight of Kayanna's confused- and dumbfounded- expression, he added, "Consider it a special treat for the fourth of the July."

* * *

 _Smack!_

Kayanna groaned as she landed roughly on the ground for the umpteenth time that morning, the water that was once in her control splashing lifelessly to the floor. She squeezed her eyes shut as she ignored the footsteps approaching her limp form, mind too focused on the throbbing pain that was flaring up her side.

For such a flowy element, water sure could _hurt_.

"Again."

"Is that like an order o-"

" _Now_."

The young waterbender made a noise of annoyance before her eyes cracked open, blue meeting blue as her father stared down at her. She rolled her eyes and picked her body up, accepting the hand Koda offered her with slight hesitation.

Kayanna found the room to be spinning ever so slightly as she stood on two feet.

"Your form was sloppy and movements slow." Koda crossed his arms and eyed his daughter, who had pulled up the water from the ground, "If you were up against a bad guy, you would've been killed in a heartbeat."

"Oh, _that's_ reassuring."

"Kayanna-"

Said girl threw her arms up, the water in her control flying outwards and to the sides, where it embedded itself as icicles in the walls as her chest heaved, "I know! _No_ jokes!"

Koda eyed the icicles embedded in the wall with mild disinterest before turning back towards his daughter. This wasn't the first time she's had an outburst like that during training. Heck, the holes in the walls were evidence of that enough, "You need to get your emotions in check."

With a wave of his hand, Kayanna watched as the icicles melted and the freshly liquidized water flowed towards her father. It curled up into a large water ball, Koda allowing it to float above his open palm.

Kayanna kept her eyes glued on the floating ball, the gentle movements helping to soothe her racing heart. She chewed her lip, the motion the only thing keeping her from biting back at her father. The energy slowly left her body and a feeling of lethargy settled upon her.

They had been back at training for a few hours, and though she had given it her all at the start, she could feel her strength slipping away. Her muscles ached and she was soaked from head to foot in a mixture of sweat and regular water. It was an unpleasant feeling, but one she was all but used to thanks to the training regime her father had set up for her.

Koda noticed the distant look in his daughter's eyes, recognizing it all too well as fatigue. Running a hand through his dripping hair, the older waterbender shook his head and dropped his hand, the water he was once holding up splashing to the ground.

Kayanna blinked at the sudden disappearance of the item of her focus, moving her attention to her father. He crossed his arms over his chest and she slumped her shoulders, "I'm sorry." Her voice was quiet, and Koda brushed her off with a half-smile.

"Don't be, Kayanna. You're improving greatly. You should be proud of yourself."

The young girl perked up slightly, a small smile settling on her lips, "Really?"

"Of course."

And it was true. Though he may be hard on his daughter, the improvement was definitely there, even if her form and mobility had been slipping during the last half an hour of training. She was still doing her best to put her best foot forward, and she deserved praise for her effort.

The little moment was interrupted, however, when the computer in the back corner of the room illuminated, a soft beeping echoing in the basement. Koda's demeanor immediately changed as he made his way towards the tech, Kayanna hesitantly trailing behind him.

 _"Incoming message."_

The computer droned, and the older waterbender pressed a button to accept the incoming message.

Almost immediately Batman appeared on the screen, and Kayanna's face immediately flushed, the image of the Dark Knight brining back memories of her earlier daydream.

 _"Nighttide."_

"Batman."

The two greeted each other stoically, neither one showing much emotion. Kayanna always found their interactions weird, it was different than her father's interactions with other Justice League members, like Wonder Woman or Shadow Hunter. With them he was more friendly and open, but with Batman he was so… _stoic_.

It could be unnerving sometimes.

 _"Fifteen minutes ago Mister Freeze launched an attack on Gotham Park. Robin and I were able to apprehend Mister Freeze with relative ease, however, during his attack, multiple civilians were left frozen in large blocks of ice. We need your assistance to get them out safely."_

"Damage control," Koda nodded, voice slipping into hero mode, "I'll be there ASAP."

 _"Good,"_ The Dark Knight nodded, _"Batman out."_

Batman's face disappeared from the screen and the computer clicked off. Koda turned around, nearly bumping into his daughter who had gotten as close as possible to hear everything. She did her best to act nonchalant, turning and stepping away as she fiddled with the ends of her ponytail.

"So, uh," She did her best to feign ignorance, trying to remain calm, "What did Batman want?"

Koda shook his head with a small smile, walking around the young brunette as he made his way towards the opposite side of the basement, "Like you didn't just hear everything." He pressed his hand up against a spot on the wall, where a small scanner appeared to scan his hand.

 _"Recognized: Nighttide."_

A disembodied voice called out. The scanner shrank back into the wall, and soon the wall split and melted away to reveal his- and Kayanna's- super suits.

Koda sat down in the nearest chair and reached down, unhooking his lower left leg and setting the prosthetic leg to the side. Kayana glanced away as her father attached the specially designed prosthetic leg Batman made him a few years ago, not liking the reminder of how much better her father was than herself- _even_ with only one and a half legs.

As her father disappeared to finish changing into his Nighttide garb, Kayanna took it upon herself to start on one of her after-training chores: picking up the water from their training.

It wasn't a hard chore, and it did help her practice her waterbending on a smaller scale, but it was so tedious because the water was literally _everywhere_. They had large metal vats that sat alongside one of the basement's walls that were filled with the water they used to train with, and it was her job to put _all_ the water back.

Every last drop.

* * *

"Can I come with?"

Her voice was quiet and she focused her gaze on her hand, picking at a hangnail on the side of her thumb. Koda paused for a second to glance over at the young waterbender before he resumed what he was doing; pulling on his gloves.

"I don't think so, Kayanna, it could be dangerous."

 _Wow, what a shocking answer._

Kayanna groaned and dropped her arms, Koda quirking his brow as he slipped his mask onto his face, "Oh, _come on_ , dad! It's _just_ damage, control right?"

"Yeah, but-"

"But Batman and Robin took care of Mister Freeze already! So what's the danger?"

Koda looked unconvinced as he shook his head. He walked towards the vats of water and with a wave of his hand, he filled the water pouches clasped to his side. He turned back towards his daughter, who had seemingly inched closer to the cabinet containing her super suit whilst waiting rather impatiently, "Its Gotham, Kayanna, there's always danger."

"We live in Gotham."

"That is beside the point."

Kayanna groaned and threw her hands up. If you ever wanted to know where her stubbornness came from, look no further. Koda Sanders was the epitome of stubbornness- and his daughter was a chip off the old block.

The apple doesn't fall far from the tree, after all.

"All we're doing is de-thawing civilians, dad!" The young brunette started once more, not willing to give up _just_ yet, "It'll go faster if I help!" Koda opened his mouth to protest, already shaking his head and Kayanna continued before he could say more, "My ice-bending could use some work!"

That was usually the key to getting her father to let her go on- what could be- exciting adventures: turn it into a teachable moment.

The older waterbender's mouth closed as he raised a gloved hand up to run through his slightly disheveled hair. Kayanna could almost see the gears turning in his head as her father weighed the pros and cons, working on coming to a final decision. The brunette crossed her fingers behind her back, silently pleading to her father with her eyes.

 _Please let me go. Please let me go. Please let me go._

"Fine," Koda let out a dejected sigh with a shake of his head, and Kayanna jumped into the air with a happy squeal, "But-" She paused in her celebration, fist still in the air in a victory fist pump. There was _always_ a but. "You listen to _everything_ I say, understood?"

The girl composed herself, hand shooting up in a mock salute- earning herself a small eye roll from her father- as she beamed, "Aye aye, sir!"

"Kayanna."

She groaned before taking on a more serious demeanor to appease her father, moving her arms and crossing them behind her back, "Yes, dad, I understand."

"Good." He nodded, a soft smile appearing on his face as excitement bubbled up within his daughter, "Now suit up."

Kayanna cheered once more before snagging her super suit from the cabinet it was locked away in, disappearing into their make-shift changing rooms, all the while whistling away. As she disappeared to change, Koda couldn't help but get an uneasy feeling in his stomach.

And that was never usually a good sign.

"I'm going to regret this, aren't I?"

* * *

Gotham Park was located smack dab in the center of Gotham City, sporting many barbeque pits and places for various sports. In the middle of the park was a small pond with a fountain in the center.

Under normal circumstances, the park was one of Nightfall's favorite places to go to. Though in the center of the bustling city, it was relatively quiet and a good place to disappear to to complete some homework- or to avoid her father.

You know, whichever the more pressing matter was at the given moment.

Upon entering the park, however, it was obviously not the same serene location it once was.

Patches of ice and ice spikes were strewn about the park, some of the larger ice spikes containing civilians, each sporting shocked and scared expressions.

Nighttide and Nightfall had to weave their way through the crowds that were gathered at the entrance of Gotham Park, a mixture of civilians and press having flocked to scene of the attack in hopes of catching a glimpse- and maybe an interview- with the Dynamic Duo. Luckily for the two waterbenders, the police were already pushing back the civilians and press, making space for the two to pass through.

And as per usual, Nighttide ignored every single person that called out his name, a stoic expression on his face as he pushed forward.

Nightfall, on the other hand, couldn't help but smile shyly at those who looked her way. Though still a relatively new hero, thanks to her father's status as a Leaguer and a well-known hero, people were starting to learn her name and recognize her.

Though there were people that called her Riptide from time to time… and that made her kind of want to scream.

"Nightfall," Said girl glanced up, masked eyes catching her father's gaze, "Make sure you keep up.

Her face flushed slightly at the public reprimand before she nodded and picked up her pace, falling in step with the older waterbender as they made their way across the park.

Nightfall glanced around at the damage, eyeing the piles of snow and ice spikes as they treaded further towards the middle of the park. It seemed as if the further they went, the more damage and destruction- and frozen civilians- there were.

They traversed the hill and the younger waterbender felt her breath hitch in her throat as her gaze settled on Batman and Robin, who were currently in the middle of a deep discussion with Commissioner Gordon. Nightfall's heartbeat picked up, a giddy feeling settling in the pit of her stomach at the mere thought that she was _seconds_ away from meeting Batman and Robin.

She honestly thought they were going to be gone by the time they arrived on scene.

As if sensing their eyes on him, Batman turned his head, gaze landing on first Nighttide, and then Nightfall at his side. Robin, noticing his mentor's attention, followed the older hero's gaze, a smile spreading across his face as he watched the two waterbenders approach.

"Nighttide," Batman nodded, greeting the older hero by extending his hand.

It was accepted, the waterbender nodding in response, "Batman."

"Nightfall."

The younger waterbender's eyes instantly widened upon finding the Dark Knight's attention on her, face flushing ever so slightly and heart rate picking up.

 _Batman knew who she was!_

Oh man, she felt as if her heart was going to burst forth from her chest!

"B-Batman." The girl responded, internally kicking herself as her voice cracked.

 _Smooth, Kayanna, smooth._

A flicker of a smile graced Batman's lips, though that could have been a trick of the light or a figment of the girl's imagination, as the caped crusader turned back towards her father, "Mister Freeze was apprehended and is currently en route back to Arkham Asylum…"

Batman and Nighttide delved into a deep discussion about the day's earlier events, the former revealing that Mister Freeze was _not_ the only ice villain to have launched an attack that day.

Aquaman and Aqualad faced Killer Frost in Pearl Harbor.

Flash and Kid Flash faced Captain Cold in Central City.

Shadow Hunter and Nightlight faced Minister Blizzard in San Francisco.

And Green Arrow and Speedy faced Icicle Junior in Star City.

Five ice villains attacked on the same day. Batman and Nighttide both came to the same conclusion that it was wonky- though they used more technical terms.

Nightfall tried her best to keep up with the rest of conversation, but they delved into some theories as to why the attack happened and they lost her, the girl ultimately zoning out. May not be the best thing when your dad finally takes you out on a semi-League based issue, but she was being ignored.

Well, mostly being ignored.

Nightfall could feel eyes on her every now and then, but was choosing to ignore it as she attempted to _at least_ look like she was paying attention. Appearances were key, after all.

Upon what felt like the twentieth time, her patience wore out and the young waterbender tore her attention from the two Leaguer's, who were still deep in discussion, to face the person staring at her: Robin.

Batman may have offered her a gruff greeting when they walked up, but him and Nighttide jumped into their discussion before an introduction to the Boy Wonder could be arranged.

Not that she really needed one, he was _the_ Boy Wonder after all.

"Name's Robin." The raven jutted his hand out as soon as her gaze landed on him, as if he had been waiting for her attention the _whole_ time.

The introduction was more of a formality than anything really. Of course she knew who he was, after all, Robin had kind of been one of her role models when it came to the sidekick side of the superhero spectrum.

This may have been the first time she was meeting him in person- and she may be _slightly_ fangirling inside (the boy was _hella_ cute)- but this was by no means her first learning of the _first_ sidekick. Nightfall looked up to the boy, and was _maybe_ kind of jealous of him. A fully trained sidekick working alongside on of the world's _greatest_ heroes ever. That was what she wished for herself more than anything.

But Nighttide had her on a short leash.

And up close and in personal with the Boy Wonder, Nightfall found herself at a loss for words as she _subtly_ (okay, _obviously_ ) checked him out. Robin's dark hair was lightly tousled, giving him a boyish charm that suited him so well and she found herself wanting to run her hands through his hair. It was probably super soft. Despite being of a short stature and a few inches shorter than herself, it was obvious Batman's training was paying off: the boy was practically _ripped_ for- what the waterbender assumed to be- a thirteen year old.

Was it bad she wanted to feel his biceps?

 _God, she sounded_ so _creepy!_ _What was wrong with her?!_

He also gave off an air of familiarity, as if she knew him from somewhere, but she didn't have time to ponder on that thought as a throat was cleared. Nightfall blinked as her mind returned to reality and she realized she was practically _gawking_. Robin sported an amused smirk as he eyed the girl, and as her face grew redder, his smirk increased, much to the waterbender's horror.

In an attempt to save herself, Nightfall's hand shot out and quickly clasped Robin's still extended one, shaking it a tad bit _too_ hard, "I'm N-Nightfall." Her voice cracked again, and she immediately dropped her arm and gaze, choosing to stare at the grassy ground, "It's n-nice to m-meet you, Robin." Her voice tapered off at the end and Robin chuckled as the girl worked to fight off her burning face.

"Likewise."

It was a simple response, but Nightfall was surprised to hear how genuine the raven sounded. Her nerves were stemmed slightly.

"So you two will handle it?"

Nightfall shifted her gaze from the ground and to Batman, who was addressing her alongside her mentor.

Nighttide nodded his affirmation, speaking for the two of them, "Of course, Batman, we'll take it from here."

"Good. Now if you'll excuse us," Batman turned towards his protégé, who was still sporting a smirk (it seemed kind of like an almost _knowing_ smirk?), "Robin and I have a prior engagement to attend to." She wanted to ask what this 'prior engagement' was, but held her tongue seeing as it wasn't her business.

With that, he spun on his heel, cape fanning out slightly as he began to walk away. Robin made a move to follow, but paused slightly before glancing back at Nightfall, "It was nice meeting you, Nightfall. Hopefully we'll be able to work together soon!"

Nightfall smiled at the thought, but it was quickly quenched as her father spoke up, placing a firm hand on her shoulder as he stepped between the waterbender and Robin, "Don't count on it, Robin. She's still in training."

" _Dad_!" The younger waterbender replied sharply as she twisted out of his grasp, "Not cool."

Robin chuckled and shrugged as he shared a glance with Nighttide, some unspoken words seemingly being passed between the two, leaving Nightfall kind of confused, "Of course, sir. Good luck, you two."

And before another word could be uttered, Robin darted off after his mentor. Nightfall followed his figure with her eyes as he grew smaller and smaller the farther he got. Only when he disappeared from view did she turn towards her father, who was staring at her expectantly.

"Are you done ogling Robin now?"

And the blush was back.

"W-what are you t-talking about? I-I wasn't ogling!" Nightfall rushed to defend herself, words slurring slightly as she stammered them out.

Nighttide shook his head and propped his hands on his hips, choosing to drop the subject and get back on task instead of teasing the younger waterbending some more.

Business first. He could tease his daughter later when the uniforms were off.

"Let's get moving."

* * *

You know that feeling when your muscles felt like lead and your whole body just felt _dead_?

Yeah, that was how Nightfall felt right now.

Though initially damage control seemed like it would be pretty easy, it turned out to be the exact _opposite_ of easy. Her father had taken her idea that this would be used as a training exercise to a _whole new level_. To show her how things were done, Nighttide unthawed the first civilian, who the paramedics immediately rushed to the aide of before carting them off to an ambulance to be checked over for signs of hypothermia.

And then that was where Nighttide's job ended.

Nightfall suddenly found herself _face to face_ with dozens of frozen people, and it was her job to unthaw them- Nighttide was just along for the ride at this point.

"Straighten your back," Her father barked, standing a good few feet back alongside some more paramedics and a stretcher, "you're slouching."

The younger waterbender groaned as she attempted to straighten her back, the muscles protested every movement. There were only a few civilians left to unthaw, and Nightfall should've been happy about that, but at the rate things were going, she felt as though her back was going to snap and her arms were going to fall off.

 _Everting was in pain._

She stretched her arms out, doing her best to ignore the aching within them. They shook in the air slightly and she splayed her fingers, eyes honing in on the captive civilian before her. Nightfall sucked in a deep breath, shutting her eyes for a moment in a final bout of concentration before opening them.

The brunette slowly and gently lowered her arms before pulling them back to her side, her mind focusing on the water melting and becoming liquid once more. There was a slight hesitation of the water reacting to her commands, but it was short-lived as the water suddenly liquefied and fell to the earth below, the paramedics rushing in to grab the civilian before she fell too.

Nighttide stepped forward and placed a hand on his daughter's shoulder. She looked up at him, panting slightly as sweat dripped down her forehead, "Very good, Nightfall." He nodded his head before gently steering her towards another civilian, "Only a few more left."

Though it was a brief compliment, it was still one nonetheless, and Nightfall found herself smiling despite the pain. Koda tried to intersperse compliments in his training to keep his daughter's spirits up, but a compliment from Nighttide in the field was most _definitely_ rare.

* * *

 _Why was the sun so bright?_

Nightfall stared up at the sky, eyes squinting slightly as she basked in the sunlight. All civilians had been freed from their icy prisons, so while Nighttide was wrapping up any potential loose ends, she took a mini break. Though her father probably wouldn't approve of her break consisting of her lying on the grass, blinding herself with the sun.

After all, he would consider her position to be leaving herself vulnerable- and slightly unprofessional- but hey, she was tired and the grass was comfy. So sue her.

What was the worst that was going to happen?

Was a random perp going to sneak up on her?

In the middle of Gotham Park?

In broad daylight?

Where many police officers were still hanging around?

 _Fat chance._

Nightfall cracked a small grin at her dumb thoughts, eyes slipping shut completely as she awaited her father to come fetch her. It was only a matter of time before things were completely wrapped up and she could go home and talk to her mother about things.

And when she said talk to her mother, she meant _complain_ to her mother.

It was really unfair how Nighttide could so effortlessly turn something that should be exciting into something that was oh so painful, and her mother was always happy to lend a listening ear whenever such an event occurred.

She honestly adored her mother.

Don't get her wrong, she usually adored her father too, but right now he was _just_ above the 'I hate you' level on her care-o-meter.

He could easily win her over with some ice cream on their way home though. Not that that would happen- too _unprofessional_ as he would say.

A shadow loomed over her, blocking the sun and darkening her already darkened vision. She cracked her eyes open, peering up at her father who was staring down at her, arms crossed and eyebrow quirked expectantly.

"I was just-"

"Resting your eyes?"

Nightfall nodded and sat up before picking herself up off the ground- albeit _slowly_ and _painfully_ \- and turned towards Nighttide, "Now you're getting it!"

The older hero chuckled and shook his head, "Come on," He wrapped an arm around his daughter's shoulders, squeezing them gently, "Let's go home, our work here is done."

Together they made their way towards the park exit, their speed a tad bit slower than normal. A silence had settled over the duo, and for once Nightfall found the silence to be comfortable. Under other circumstances, silences in the field with her father were either tense, or awkward because he was annoyed with her for whatever reason.

But this one, this one was nice.

"You did good work, Nightfall." Nighttide glanced down at his daughter, a soft smile on his face.

 _Wow,_ two _compliments from NighTide in_ one _day?_

Nightfall cocked her head to glance up at him, her own smile mirroring his, "Thanks, dad." She paused for a second, chewing her lower lip as she thought over her next words carefully. She didn't like pestering her dad, but she just had to know, "Does this mean you'll give me more responsibilities in the field?"

The older waterbender shifted his gaze from his daughter to the sky, inhaling a deep breath before slowly exhaling it. He should've seen that one coming, "Maybe, but we can talk-" Nighttide trailed off suddenly, body tensing as he stopped walking. Nightfall quirked a brow as she opened her mouth to say something, but her father held up a hand signaling her to keep quiet before he pressed a finger to his ear, "Nighttide here."

A series of nods and affirmation noises was all Nightfall got from the conversation over the course of the next few minutes. She had already deduced it was League related- after all, what else would it be?- but she had yet to learn exactly _what_ League related thing it was.

So that was still a mystery.

Nighttide slipped a small device from his utility belt, and the young brunette recognized it as his GPS. He tapped a few buttons before a _ping_ sounded from the small device and a mini holographic map appeared, a red dot marking a random location.

"Got it," Nighttide nodded once more, though Nightfall wasn't exactly sure as to who he was nodding to, "I need to take care of Nightfall and then I will be right there. Nighttide out."

That got her attention.

"Take care of me?" The girl stared up at her father, arms crossed, "What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means…" Nighttide started, brown eyes filled with concern and uncertainty as he thought hard about something. He shook his head and raked a gloved hand through his messy brown locks, a soft sigh leaving his lips, "I'm taking you to the Hall of Justice."

She blinked, "Uh, why?"

"You recall the sorcerer Wotan, correct?"

"You've mentioned him once or twice."

Nighttide nodded before he began walking, the younger waterbender quick to follow on his heels, "Zatara requested League back-up because Wotan is attempting to use the Amulet of Aten to blot out the sun."

"That's not good."

"No, no it's not."

The conversation seemingly ended there, Nighttide not having more information to share with his daughter as they exited the park. She stayed quiet for a second, but something was nagging at her.

"So, why am I going to the Hall of Justice then?"

Reporters began to yell at the two heroes, shouting out random questions in hopes they would be answered. Nightfall flinched back slightly, moving closer to her father as microphones were shoved in her face, cameras flashing as they walked by. Nighttide remained stoic throughout the whole thing, voice quiet and gaze set straight forward.

Only when they managed to escape the sea of reporters did the older waterbender speak up once more.

"I don't have time to take you home and then rendezvous with the League, so you get to hang out at the Hall of Justice for the time being."

Nightfall audibly groaned, not bothering to hide her annoyance and her father picked up his pace, "You know I'm perfectly capable of getting myself home safely."

"Home is across town, Nightfall, and you can't take the motorcycle by yourself."

"I could if you taught me how to drive it." She grumbled under her breath, following her father into an alley. He glanced back at her, a frown on his face.

"What was that?"

"Nothing!"

Nighttide shook his head before walking further into an alley. He approached an old, decrepit phone booth and pulled back the door. Upon Nightfall's confused look, he began to explain that inside the seemingly useless phone booth was what the League called a ' _zeta-tube_ '.

Not that it looked very tube-y.

And she had no idea what a zeta was.

Her father continued on describing it, informing the girl that it was a teleporter device utilized by the League for fast and easy travel across the country- and to some parts of the world. It was the League's main means of transportation, allowing them to quickly and effortlessly get to their missions in a timely fashion.

Which cleared up _a lot_ of unanswered questions for Nightfall.

She often wondered how her father could travel from Gotham City, New Jersey to Star City, California in like five minutes flat.

However, it took a bit of convincing on her father's part that the nasty old phone booth he was standing in front of was state of the art League tech. To Nightfall, it looked like trash and not like something she _ever_ wanted to get into.

"Look, when the computer tells you to, just _enter_ the phone booth and you'll be teleported to the Hall of Justice, where I will be waiting for you."

Nightfall still looked skeptical, "Seems sketch."

"I don't have time for this, Nightfall." Nighttide's patience was wearing thin and it was beginning to show in the tone of his voice, "Just do what the computer says and all will be fine."

She was still _definitely_ unconvinced, but she knew her father was growing impatience so she nodded her head and watched as he climbed into the phone booth. He gave her what was supposed to be reassuring smile before closing the door, but it didn't help _at all_.

A part of her expected her father to jump out of the phone booth and yell "just kidding!" or something- but she knew that was implausible.

A bright light suddenly emitted from the phone booth causing Nightfall's eyes to widen. A feminine computerized voice droned out some words, but the girl was too surprised to catch them. The door unexpectedly slid open and the waterbender jumped back at the sudden motion.

She cautiously stepped towards the open phone booth, taking in the fact that her father was no longer inside the machine- which must mean it was working.

 _"You may now enter."_

Nightfall jumped back once more, heart suddenly leaping up into her throat at the unexpected voice. It same voice that spoke when her father disappeared, and the same voice their computer at home spoke with.

It must be a League thing.

 _"You may now enter."_

The voice droned again. Nightfall sucked in a deep breath before stepping forward. She first poked her head into the phone booth, glancing around the interior of it. There wasn't anything unusual about it, in fact, if a normal civilian were to step up to it, they would think it was just an old, decrepit phone booth and not some high-tech League machine.

Which made it all the sketchier to Nightfall.

Only when the voice called out to her a third time did she step fully into the machine, carefully closing the door behind herself. A bright light began to glow from the center of the machine, and she soon found herself surrounded by it.

 _Here goes nothing…_

* * *

 **A/N: Hey friends!**

 **Now I know what you are all probably thinking: _'Another_ Young Justice story? Don't you have anything else to write?'**

 **lol the answer is no- I'm trash.**

 **But seriously, next to a Falcon rewrite, I've honestly been DYING to write out my bby Nightfall's story! She's the OC that's the closest to my heart (probs because she's based off of me, but you know, whatever xD ) and I've had people asking me to write out her story for a while now, so here I am! As I get older and I'm forced to adult more, I know I'm probably not going to have time to write out her story, but it's something I really want to do so here I am!**

 **This is for all of you Nightfall fans! c:**

 **And yes, for those who are new to my smol water child, she is shipped with Dickie-birb because he is my love! I was shipping with him before it was cool B)**

 **lol jk**

 **Well, maybe... Kayanna has been shipped with Dick for years now though... and if any of you guys want to learn more about them, feel free to check out my deviantART account: Rawwwrchel! Got loads of ship art of the two smol nugs either being cute or giving each other anxiety because that's what they do best!**

 **For those of you wondering about Falcon's story, I fully intend to finish it! I mean, I'm like halfway done already so I have to push forth! I also have plans for a rewrite of 'When Lightning Strike's' once Falcon's story is done and have more exciting plans for Falcon for those of you who may think she's boring! xD**

 **And sorry to disappoint, but I am OFFICIALLY DISCONTINUING STRIKE. Nightfall was going to make an appearance in that story, but I've lost all my ideas and inspiration. If there's anyone out there who may want to adopt it, let me know? I know I said I wouldn't abandon a story, but I think I bit off more than I can chew and it's hard to write a character when you don't have any inspiration for them- trust me, I've tried.**

 **Okay so I had wanted the first chapter to encompass all of Independence Day to so I can just go off the episodes from there... but then this chapter ended up being like 6.5K words and if I added everything else it was going to be probs close to 20K and that's a huge af chapter lol so this is now like a prologue!**

 **This is going to be a trial run (I say that with all my stories, don't I? pfffft-) but I'm just going to kind of be gauging people's reactions I guess? So make sure to leave a review and tell me what you think! I would love to know if you guys wanted me to continue this or what! ^^**

 **-SnowWolf22**

 **P.s. Shadow Hunter and Nightlight will be reoccuring characters and they are OCs that belong to my wonderful friend xdarkhikarix on deviantART! This is primarily going to focus on Nightfall of course, but you will be seeing plenty of Nightlight along the way to! She's Nightfall's 'mom' friend who tries to make her stick to the rules because water child can be _nutz_.**


	2. Independence Day

**Young Justice is not mine.**

* * *

 **Independence Day**

 _"Just as ripples spread out when a single pebble is dropped into water, the actions of individuals can have far-reaching effects."_

 _-_ Dalai Lama

* * *

 **HALL OF JUSTICE**

"When we're _ready_?" Kid Flash exclaimed, outraged as he kicked at the floor. The Justice Leaguer's- consisting of their _trusted_ mentors- had just left the room, off to some grand 'ol Justice League adventure, on they weren't allowed on, "How are we supposed to _ever_ be ready if they treat us like, like…" He searched for the word.

"Sidekicks?" Robin grumbled, arms crossed.

"Exactly!"

Aqualad looked at his friends before casting his eyes towards the ground, dejected, "My mentor... my King... I thought he trusted me."

 _"Trust?!_ " Kid Flash retorted, emerald eyes ablaze as he flailed his arms, "They don't even trust us with the _basics_! They've got an orbiting secret HQ in _space_!"

Nightlight, the lone female member of the small group, shook her head as she wrapped her cape around herself, "This is the Justice League we're talking about, I'm sure they have their reasons."

And she meant that. She trusted her father, Shadow Hunter, more than anything. He would know best, and as much as she would _love_ for more responsibilities, she- and the others- were still young.

They still had plenty of time to join the Justice League.

Kid Flash scoffed and ran a hand through his red hair before green eyes met pink, "You _would_ defend the League."

The caped girl's eyes narrowed, "And what's _that_ supposed to mean?"

Before Kid Flash had a chance to retaliate, Aqualad stepped in, placing a hand on the annoyed speedster's shoulder, silencing him with a simple look, "Nightlight has a valid point, Kid, this is the Justice League we are referring to. Besides, bickering amongst ourselves will not help our situation."

Kid Flash opened his mouth to respond, but faltered for a moment. He knew Aqualad was right, but his feelings were still a tad bit hurt, so his emotions were running kind of amuck, but he didn't mean to take things out on Nightlight. With a soft frown, he glanced back at the girl, "I'm sorry."

"Don't worry about it," The pink-eyed girl responded with a shrug, "but it does beg the question, how many more secrets are they keeping from us?"

"I've got a better question," Robin spoke up, brows furrowed as his friends glanced at him, "Why didn't we leave with Speedy?"

A heavy silence hung in the air at the Boy Wonder's question, four sets of eyes casting their gaze down to the floor. They were stuck, and unsure of how to move forward, spirits crestfallen at the rejection from the League.

What could they do?

Aqualad was the first to break the silence, a curious look in his eyes, "What is…" The young Atlantean paused, thinking over his next works, "Project Cadmus?"

And just like that, the fire was ignited once more.

"Don't know…" Robin started, voice filled with a mischievous air as his lips quirked upwards into a devious smirk, "but I can find out."

The Boy Wonder stepped towards the large computer, fully intent on putting his hacking skills to use. Just before his fingers could touch the key pad, however, the zeta tube burst to life, the computer's robotic voice echoing in the air.

 _"Recognized: Nighttide: Zero-Four."_

Four sets of eyes snapped towards the zeta tube, watching as the doors slid open and the bright light dimmed, revealing the Justice Leaguer. Robin immediately shot back from the computer as Nighttide stepped out of the contraption, doing his best to act like he _wasn't_ just about to hack into the computer as the waterbender turned his way.

"N-Nighttide?" Kid Flash spluttered, surprise evident in his voice.

Nighttide barely acknowledged the four young heroes' presence- their only true acknowledgement being a curt nod from him- as he walked towards the large computer before beginning to type. The Boy Wonder attempted to casually look over the man's shoulder to see what he was doing, but had to jump back quickly as Nighttide finished typing.

 _"Access Granted: Nightfall: A-Zero-One. Authorization: Nighttide: Zero-Four."_

Once more all eyes turned towards the zeta tube as it lit up, revealing a very confused- and slightly concerned- Nightfall as the light dimmed. Her head went left, and then right, blue eyes scanning for any missing parts before she stepped forward cautiously, testing the weight on her left foot before deciding it was fine, and she could walk.

The waterbender exited the zeta tube before cocking her head back as the large door blocking the zeta slid shut with a hiss. She frowned before turning her gaze forward, only realizing then that all eyes were on her.

"Uh, hi?" She hesitantly waved.

Robin was the only one that waved back, more enthusiastically than Nightfall really expected. The others just gave her blank looks before turning towards her father, the Leaguer not having spoken a word since his arrival.

"I'm sure the League has already informed you of the situation at hand." Nighttide cut right to the chase, cutting Kid Flash off before he could even speak.

"We were told to stay put until the League returned from their mission." Nightlight spoke up, pink eyes glowing underneath her hood. She ignored the look a certain speedster flashed her.

"Good," The older waterbender nodded, "Nightfall will be joining you four."

"I just wanted to go-"

Nightfall was cut off as Kid Flash spoke up, "Today was supposed to be _the_ day!" He extended his hands out, flailing them slightly and causing Nightlight to step away to avoid being hit in the face. She glared at him from the corner of his eye, but the speedster went on, "We're _ready_ to work alongside you guys!"

"Obviously _not_ if you have to question direct orders _from_ the League." Nighttide responded smoothly, narrowed brown eyes focused on the ginger.

Emerald eyes widened, and a slightly embarrassed expression settled on Kid Flash's face before he turned his gaze towards the floor. Nightfall blinked, feeling slightly bad for the speedster. Nighttide wasn't known for sugar coating his words.

Robin stifled a laugh behind his hand, turning it into a quick cough as he caught Nightfall's confused look. There was just something about his best friend being _embarrassed_ that made him amused. Nightlight flashed the Boy Wonder a glare before shaking her head. She was used to his immature antics.

Aqualad took a deep breath and placed a hand on Kid Flash's shoulder before speaking to the Leaguer, "Then you should be on your way. We will stay put."

"Thank you, Aqualad." Nighttide nodded at the Atlantean, "Your patience will be rewarded, I promise."

The waterbender nodded his head in goodbye at the four before turning towards his daughter, who was silently watching the whole ordeal from beside the zeta. She glanced up at him when he stepped in front of her.

" _Najuk, Nightfall, pigasuak utik."_ **(Stay put, Nightfall, I will return.)**

" _Ii, atâtak."_ **(Yes, father.)**

" _Tavvauvutit._ " **(Goodbye.)**

Nighttide nodded, content before placing a hand on Nightfall's shoulder, squeezing slightly before stepping into the zeta. A shoulder squeeze didn't seem like much, but it was the only affection for a goodbye she'd get when he was in uniform. Forehead kisses and hugs were a Koda Sanders thing only- _not_ Nighttide.

And then, in the blink of the eye, he was flashed away, leaving the four sidekicks- and their newest addition- alone once more.

* * *

"Are we babysitting you?"

The question came from nowhere, breaking the heavy silence and Nightfall's head shot up. She turned towards the source of the voice, confusion and annoyance evident on her face as Kid Flash held his hands up in mock surrender.

 _Why would_ they _be babysitting_ her _?_

"No offense, babe, _oof-"_ Nightlight suddenly elbowed the speedster's side, which earned her an irked look from him, "Hey!"

The caped girl just shrugged her arms before crossing them, ignoring Kid Flash as he rubbed his- now aching- side tenderly. She tried to keep herself looking indignant as she settled her pink gaze on Nightfall, "I think what Kid Flash meant is, why did Nighttide bring you to the Hall of Justice if he was just going to ditch you?"

Nightfall felt her face heat up, and she wanted to protest what the other girl had said to let her know that _no_ , her father _did not_ ditch her, but she knew it was pointless. Maybe ditching wasn't exactly the right word for how she ended up where she was, but it was pretty much true.

Nighttide had ditched her to go on a League mission.

Hey, she'd do the same in his position, honestly.

Though after learning the other sidekicks were here because they thought they were joining the Justice League- who ditched them as well for League business- it made Nightfall's reasoning for being here just a _tad bit_ pitiful. Her dad may have been concerned for her well-being, which as a father was a fair excuse, but she still felt it would reflect on her negatively if she told them he wouldn't let her _simply_ walk home.

It seemed kind of lame, right?

"We were in the neighborhood so we decided to stop by?" Nightfall attempted to lie, though lying was never her forte.

She had a _very_ obvious tell: she'd always chew her lower lip whenever she lied.

Just like she was doing now!

Nightlight didn't exactly look convinced, and neither did Kid Flash for that matter, but before either of them could call her out on her bullshit, Robin called for their attention.

As the two other heroes turned towards the Boy Wonder, Nightfall released the breath she didn't realize she had been holding, glad to have the attention off herself.

"Woah," Kid Flash breathed out, and Nightfall focused her attention on the computer screen Robin was positioned in front of. Where the screen had once been off and black, it was now illuminated brightly, displaying an image of a white building, with multiple firefighters attempting to defeat the fire that was burning in the upper floors, "How'd you do that?"

"Same system as the Batcave," Robin replied smoothly with a smirk, as if it was the most _obvious_ answer out there. The screen changed slightly as the raven's fingers clacked on the keyboard, more images and files of the same building popping up.

Nightfall was confused as she eyeballed the screen, not entirely sure what Robin was doing- or what all the files and images were supposed to mean. She may have gotten the intel from the four sidekicks about their denial to join the League, and that they League had ditched them too, but that was it.

"What are we looking at?" She hesitantly spoke up as the others stared at the info, "And why's it on fire?"

"This," Robin glanced back at the girl and gestured to the screen, "is Project Cadmus. As for the fire part, the League was going to check it out until Zatara called in about Wotan."

Nightfall just nodded, gaze shifting from the Boy Wonder back to the info on the screen. It still didn't clarify much for her, but she was slowly getting used to being kept out of the loop when it came to things like this.

After all, her father failed to mention the _other_ sidekicks had been invited to join the League today.

Kinda stung a bit to find out she hadn't been invited- not that she was necessarily ready to join them of course, but was it so hard for them to extend her an invite as well?

He carried on his explanation, letting out a slightly annoyed groan when he realized how _little_ information there was on the building, "It says it's a genetics lab here in D.C… and that's it."

 _Well, there was_ some _info to clarify things…_

"That's not very helpful." Nightlight frowned as she crossed her arms.

Robin shrugged, a coy smirk spreading across his face as an idea popped in his head, "Which means, since Batman was suspicious, maybe we should investigate?"

"Solve their case before they do," Aqualad looked thoughtful, and Nightfall shifted her gaze between the two, "It would be poetic justice."

"Hey," Robin shrugged with a chuckle, "They're all about justice."

"I think you're forgetting an important fact here," Nightlight spoke up, not flinching as four pairs of eyes focused on her, "we were told to _stay put_."

Nightfall felt excitement bubbling up in the pit of her stomach- despite Nightlight's valid point- as she began to realize what Robin was implying. Maybe they weren't going to be trapped in the Hall of Justice for who knows how long… maybe helping to solve things at this… Cadmus place would prove to the League- mainly her father- she was ready for more exciting missions!

"For the blotting out the sun mission, not this," Robin was quick to point out, flashing the pink eyed girl a devious smirk. Nightlight wasn't amused.

"Wait," Kid Flash piped up and zipped to his best friend's side, placing a hand on his shoulder, "are you going to Cadmus?" The speedster's excitement seemed to grow, emerald eyes shining, "Because if you're going, I'm going!"

The two turned, flashing bright grins towards Aqualad, who had yet to input his two cents on the matter. He looked thoughtful for a moment, a soft grin on his lips, "Just like that? We're a team on a mission?"

"We didn't come for a playdate."

Nightlight frowned and shook her head, hood shifting slightly at the movement, "Aqualad, not you too!" She had hoped if anyone was going to listen to the League and talk some sense into the other boys, it would've been the Atlantean, "The League isn't going to approve of us hacking their files and disobeying their direct orders. I thought the goal of today was to prove we were League material? Not prove that Speedy was right about us: we're _not_ ready."

Kid Flash tossed an easy arm around the worried girl's shoulder, replacing it once when Nightlight shrugged it off, but he wasn't fazed, "Come on, Light, this is the chance of a _lifetime_! Imagine the League's reaction- _Shadow Hunter's_ \- reaction come to find out _we_ solved their case for them!" The speedster smiled brightly down at Nightlight, who was a few inches shorter than himself, emerald eyes pleading with her, "We'll so prove to the League we deserve to be amongst them!"

They really were determined on going, weren't they?

Nightlight eventually sighed, reluctantly giving in, "Fine, but I'm _only_ going to make sure none of you guys get in trouble, _okay_?"

"Great," This time it was Nightfall who spoke up, blue eyes filled with excitement as she rocked on her heels, "When do we leave?"

The more responsible part of her mind was telling her she should stay put, but she shoved that thought to the side as her mind focused on the _good_ potential outcomes of the Cadmus adventure. Hopefully it would let her dad see she _was_ a good hero! Plus adventure, right?

"Uh, _we_?"

Nightfall blinked as the other four sidekicks stared at her, confusion evident on her face- as well as theirs. She wasn't sure what that comment was supposed to mean, so she kept her mouth shut as she waited for an explanation.

"It would be wise if you were to stay here, Nightfall," Aqualad supplied, an apologetic look on his face as the waterbender's shoulders drooped.

"Yeah," Nightlight piped up, "You are pretty inexperienced. We just don't want to see you get hurt."

Nightfall scowled as her face burned in embarrassment. A million and one things whirled through her mind to say in retaliation, so she just said the first thing her mind latched onto, "After the League _just_ treated you guys like _children_ , you're going to treat _me_ like one?" She crossed her arms over her chest, blue eyes narrowed in anger.

Kid Flash looked away from the angry girl, arm still around Nightlight's shoulder as she narrowed her pink eyes, and Aqualad rubbed the back of his neck as the girl spoke, "We have years of experience. It's not a matter of us treating you like a child, it's a matter of us ensuring your safety."

She had a valid point, but Nightfall was underestimated enough by her father. She didn't need this from people _her_ age as well. Not to mention the fact that if she _did_ stay behind, what exactly was she going to tell the League when they inevitably returned?

 _"Oh, where's the other's you ask? Yeah, they went on this grand 'ol adventure and left me behind because I have no experience!"_

That was a surefire way for her dad to see she _wasn't_ ready. Plus she'd probably _die_ from embarrassment at having to admit her limited experience in _front of the whole League_.

Robin interjected before either girl could say another word, "Hey, I think she'll be okay joining us. She has us to protect her after all!"

"I can protect myself."

"She has us for back-up after all!"

Nightlight didn't look convinced, but chose not to comment any further. As proved earlier, arguing was going to get them nowhere. Kid Flash grinned before he suddenly zipped over to Nightfall's side, tossing an arm around her shoulder and pulling the surprised girl closer to his side.

"I've gladly got your back any day of the week, babe!"

 _Was that a flirt?_

Nightfall didn't know how to handle flirting.

Finding her voice suddenly gone, the waterbender clammed up as she just nodded. Goosebumps rose up on her arms, a bright red flush dusting her cheeks and she gaped as she tried to find words- and her voice.

Robin, meanwhile, roughly pushed off his best friend's arm, scowling at him, "We _all_ will have her back!" He snapped, tone snippy.

"Uh, t-thanks, Kid Flash." Nightfall had found her voice, or some semblance of it at least.

Kid Flash beamed as he smiled mischievously at Robin, which could only mean disaster, "Feel free to call me the _man of your dreams_ , babe!"

And there was another one!

Nightfall was _really_ thrown through the loop this time. Her experience with flirting was limited if you couldn't tell- and she _always_ found herself a blushing, clammed up mess whenever someone flirted with her.

As she attempted to process what was just said to her, Robin looked ready to murder the speedster and Aqualad just looked on with a shake of his head.

Nightlight scowled as she reached forward and grabbed the poor girl's arm, dragging her away from the two boys and towards the exit, "You two are _ridiculous_. Let's just get on with it before the League comes back!"

Aqualad followed the two girl's while Kid Flash and Robin hung back slightly. The speedster couldn't help but laugh at his friend's expression, but the smile was quickly removed from his face when the Boy Wonder punched him _hard_ in the shoulder.

The ginger let out a quiet whimper, and Robin smiled victoriously to himself before chasing after the other three sidekicks, Kid Flash scowling at his back.

" _Dick_."

* * *

 **WASHINGTON D.C**

When it came to things that terrified her, the list was short for Nightfall.

There was clowns, Medusa, and squirrels, and that was just about it.

But now, now she had to add 'riding on the back of a motorcycle with Robin' to the list.

With the way the Boy Wonder bobbed and weaved through traffic, Nightfall felt as though she was going to fall off at every turn and face a painful death by _splatting_ on the cement. It wasn't a pleasant thought, and it made her cling even tighter to Robin's torso.

The plus side was, she finally got to feel his biceps. So that was a good thing, right?

Robin had been the first to offer her to ride with him.

Well, actually, that wasn't true. Kid Flash had been the first, but he offered her his _arms_ to ride in and promised he _wouldn't ever drop a girl as beautiful as her_. Looking back now, maybe the speedster would've been the lesser of two evils?

Nightfall cried out as Robin suddenly took a sharp turn, following the directions on his GPS- Cadmus was only another mile away. He couldn't help but grin under his helmet, however, as the waterbender's grip on his torso tightened, her own head pressed up against his shoulder as much as her helmet would allow her to.

Eventually- after what felt like an eternity to the poor waterbender- the rag tag team of sidekicks made it to their destination: Cadmus.

The building was still on fire, flames flickering in various windows as smoke rose up from within. Various firetrucks and firemen were stationed outside the burning building, water aimed at the flaming embers as they attempted to control the scene.

Nightfall immediately shot off the bike, nearly falling over in the process as she stumbled to her feet. She pulled off her helmet and tossed it to the ground, shaking her head as Robin appeared at her side, "Who taught you to _drive_?"

"Batman."

 _Yeah, guess that made sense…_

Nightlight landed beside the duo and Aqualad parked next to Robin's bike as she opened her mouth, "Are you okay, Nightfall?"

"I am _never_ riding with Robin _ever_ again."

"Told you you'd be better off in my arms, babe!" Kid Flash skidded to a halt besides Nightfall, tossing a casual arm over her shoulder as he bit into a hot dog.

Robin scowled as Nightfall blushed, and he whacked the speedster's arm, knocking the hot dog to the ground. Kid Flash blinked and frowned as he looked from his best friend to his lost meal, "Hey!"

"Did you _have_ to _stop_ for food on your way over here?"

Kid Flash shrugged, "I was hungry."

Nightfall stared between the two, the speedster's arm still wrapped around her shoulder. She wasn't sure what to say- or what to do- as the two friends bickered, Aqualad and Nightlight both sporting unamused looks.

All of a sudden, an explosion rocked the small vicinity, the shockwave rippling across the earth. Two scientists were launched from their positions on the second floor, the explosion sending them careening towards the hard ground below.

Nightfall stepped forward, Kid Flash's arm falling as she gaped, "We have to save them!"

"Way ahead of you, babe!" He winked at the girl, another flush dusting her cheeks before he sped off. He raced up the side of the building and caught the two scientists, using his momentum to toss them back up onto a ledge. Unfortunately, gravity caught up with the speedster and Kid Flash lost his momentum, sliding down the solid wall until he was able to catch himself on a lower ledge.

"So smooth." Robin commented under his breath, a snort escaping his lips.

"Is that a regular occurrence?"

Nightlight nodded as she glanced at the other girl, "Unfortunately, yes."

Aqualad shook his head, a frown on his lips, "He should not have run off ahead, we need a pla-" The Atlantean cut himself off as he turned his head to the side, mentally counting the number of bodies still with him.

There were two.

They lost one.

"And there goes Robin." Nightlight deadpanned, and Nightfall watched as Robin launched himself up and onto a firetruck, running up its ladder as his cackled echoed in the air. He jumped up and launched a grappled, swinging himself over to the ledge Kid Flash was dangling from.

"Uh, is that a regular occurrence, too?"

There was an audible sigh as Nightlight shook her head, "Yes."

Nightfall glanced back over just in time to see a flicker of Robin's cape as he disappeared inside the burning building, Kid Flash already gone from view. Aqualad stared after the other two boys, a frown seemingly permanently etched into his features.

 _This was off to a great start!_

Nightlight floated lightly into the air and turned towards the Atlantean, "We should probably follow them and make sure they're not in trouble." At the confirmation nod from Aqualad, the pink-eyed girl took off, her pink aura surrounding her.

Aqualad made eye contact with Nightfall before together the two ran off and towards the firetruck. The Atlantean pulled out his water bearers, turning towards the shocked firemen before stating, "I need to borrow that."

He pointed his chosen weapons at the water hose in the firemen's hands, and a brilliant blue glow illuminated the tattoos on his arms as the water from the hose flowed towards him. It circled his feet before creating a platform, and Aqualad used the water to propel himself upwards.

Nightfall frowned as she glanced up at the Atlantean, watching him disappear into the same window Robin had gone into. She wasn't sure how she was going to be getting up there seeing as Aqualad's method of transport was one she hadn't tried before, but there was a first time for everyting.

 _Practice makes perfect, right?_

"Need a hand?" The waterbender jumped slightly before she turned towards the source of the voice. Nightlight, brightly illuminated by pink, floated about a foot away from herself. Two scientists- the same ones who Kid Flash tried to save- ran passed Nightfall and towards the firemen, who were waiting with paramedics to ensure the two were okay.

"I- I think I got it."

Nightlight looked slightly skeptical at the other girl's reply, but nodded regardless. It was obvious the waterbender was trying to prove herself- either to them or herself the pink-eyed girl wasn't quite sure- but she wasn't going to stand in the way of that. She was, however, going to be here for back up shall Nightfall find herself needing it.

Having expected Nightlight to fly herself where the others had gone, Nightfall was caught off guard when the girl didn't move much. She floated up a few feet, but kept her gaze on the waterbender.

Feeling slightly pressured, Nightfall took a deep breath and closed her eyes tightly. Releasing her breath, she turned towards the firemen, "I'm sorry," She shrugged, trying her best to seem as apologetic as possible, "but I also need to borrow that!"

With a wave of her hand, more water flowed out of the hose. Instead of creating a platform of water like Aqualad did, Nightfall lifted her hand into the air and moved it into a small circle, and the water moved on her command to wrap tightly around her body. She thrust her hand upwards and immediately she shot up, the water propelling her into the air.

Nightlight watched the other girl go upwards before she flew upwards herself. Nightfall landed on the ledge, wobbling slightly as she regained her footage. She turned, doing her best to ignore the height before she released the water from her control and it fell to the ground with a splash.

When Nightfall entered the room, her presence was barely acknowledged. Robin was typing away on a computer, the light illuminating his face. Aqualad was in one corner of the room, flipping through some files pinned to a board while Kid Flash- who had somehow found a granola bar during his search- was flipping through a filing cabinet. Nightlight was the last to enter the room, and when she did, a bright pink orb flickered in her palm, lighting the dark room up.

"Thanks for the help, _guys_." Nightlight commented snidely.

Robin barely looked up from the computer screen, a smirk on his face, "You guys handled it. Besides, we're here to investigate! Poetic justice, remember?"

"Aren't we also here as a _team_ though?" Nightfall tossed out, crossing her arms and Robin simply shrugged.

Aqualad rolled his eyes before stepping out of the room, entering a dark hallway. Nightfall sighed before turning to rummage through a desk drawer. Nothing exciting was in it- just your typical office supplies.

There was a gentle _ding_ and Nightfall perked up, Robin glancing up from his hacking. She shut the desk drawer, cringing slightly as it shut harder than she anticipated, the _bang_ echoing in the small room. Nightlight flashed her a look, and the waterbender offered an apologetic smile.

The four left in the room quickly exited it, tracking down their Atlantean friend who stood in the hallway, mouth slightly agape, "There was something in the…"

"Elevators should be shut down," Kid Flash commented, looking confused momentarily as Robin pushed past him with a frown.

"Wait a minute, this is wrong." He tapped his forearm and his holographic computer appeared, showing scans and schematics of the elevator. Nightfall tried to catch a glimpse of what he was looking at, but the Boy Wonder was scrolling a bit too fast through the elevator data for her to keep up, "Thought so," He spoke up after a few seconds of silence, "This is a high speed express elevator. It doesn't belong in a two-story building."

"Neither does what I saw," Aqualad added grimly. Robin stepped to the side as he stepped forward, jamming his hands into the tiny gap between the elevator doors. His muscles tensed, and with a strained groan, the elevator doors were pried open, revealing a pit of darkness.

The five of them peaked over the ledge and Nightfall felt her heart rate pick up as her eyes widened. Adrenaline began to course through her veins and she took a subconscious step back, bumping into Kid Flash's chest. He offered her a reassuring smile when she looked back at him, but it did nothing to ease her racing heart.

Robin took a step back, pulling out his grapple and shooting a hook into the roof of the elevator, "And _that_ ' _s_ why they need an express elevator."

Without a second thought or any signs of hesitation, Robin leapt over the edge and plummeted down into the darkness and Nightfall felt her heart lurch at the sight. Aqualad was the next to disappear into the pit of darkness, leaping forward gracefully and grabbing onto the rope.

As Aqualad disappeared from sight, Nightlight took that as her cue to follow suit. Instead of using the rope, however, she hovered into the elevator shaft, her pink aura casting an eerie glow along the dark walls, before she slowly began to descend, her pink glow following her.

Blood pounded in her ears as Kid Flash nudged Nightfall forward gently. She shook her head and stepped back, any and all confidence about their mission she once felt being replaced by fear. She had _never_ done anything like this before. And frankly, she wasn't really sure she wanted to.

"Uh, after you!" The waterbender tried, twirling a lock of her hair nervously.

Kid Flash shook his head, "I'm not leaving you behind, Nighty, besides, you'll be fine!"

It wasn't much of a confidence booster if the girl was honest with herself, but this is what she got for _insisting_ she tag along on their rag tag adventure. This was what she wanted- to do hero things. And hero things consisted of plummeting into unknown, pitch black pits, right?

 _This was going to be the death of her_.

Pushing back any and all thoughts of her just jumping to her doom right then and there, Nightfall sucked in a deep breath before leaping into the darkness and grabbing ahold of the rope. Kid Flash followed her, calling down to the girl, "I'm right behind you!"

His words fell on deaf ears, however, as the fear in her stomach changed to butterflies and excitement, the feeling being akin to riding on a roller coaster. Nightfall's hair whipped around her head, smacking her in the face here and there and the girl suddenly regretted not having her hair in a ponytail.

Or bringing a hair tie so she could tie her hair back.

She made a mental note to start carrying one on her wrist at all times.

The bright white lights that traced the elevator wall rushed past the girl's vision, the colors blurring together as she slid further and further down the rope. She took a chance, glancing downwards to see how much farther she had to go before spotting Nightlight's pink glow.

Nightfall clenched her hands together, slowing her descent as Robin called up, "I'm at the end of my rope!"

The rope began to swing, Nightfall clinging to it even more, as she watched the Boy Wonder swing from the rope to a ledge. He managed to balance himself before glancing up and waving everyone else down.

Aqualad landed on the ledge besides Robin and reached up to help Nightfall as she leapt over. Kid Flash followed after, Nightlight helping him to balance as he stumbled slightly.

"Bypassing securing and… go." Robin nodded Aqualad's way, and the Atlantean turned and pried the doors apart, and the four of them stepped into the deserted hallway, a dim, eerie red flow illuminating the metallic walls.

"Welcome to project Cadmus," Robin murmured, his voice echoing quietly.

Nightfall glanced around with her mouth slightly agape, realization dawning on her that yeah, they were _definitely_ in over their heads. They had come here for a simple fire, but there was something much, _much_ bigger going on than a simple genetics lab.

Simple genetics labs didn't have _dozens_ of sublevels hidden from the public.

Not wanting to stand still any longer, Kid Flash slipped his goggles onto his face and raced off ahead, ignoring Aqualad's protest.

The ground beneath them began to shake, catching Nightfall off guard as her eyes went wide. The four sidekicks took off in a sprint in the direction Kid Flash had headed, just in time to see the speedster go skidding across the floor as huge, mammoth sized legs came down.

Nightlight quickly darted towards Kid Flash, pushing him roughly to the side where he rolled into the wall. Nightfall wanted to warn the other girl to look out as the mammoth creatures _stomped_ her way, but the pink-eyed girl merely went intangible, crossing her arms in annoyance as the herd stormed past- _and_ through- her.

"That was close," Kid Flash muttered, rubbing the back of his head. He sheepishly looked at Nightlight, who not only looked rather irked, but also unfazed at the fact _giant ass creatures_ just stomped _through_ her.

"You think?"

Aqualad eyed the creatures as they disappeared down the hall, seafoam eyes hazy, "No, nothing odd going on here."

* * *

They trekked further and deeper into the bowels of Cadmus, Robin guiding their way. They had taken off in the opposite direction that the ones the giant creatures had gone in, and eventually they came to a large metal door. Robin immediately pulled up his holo-glove, hacking into the door with ease. It slid open with a soft hiss, and Nightfall's eyes widened as the interior was revealed.

A long hall was stretched out in front of the five, but that wasn't the weird part. The walls were lined with glass containers, each one sparking and flickering with electricity from the creatures contained within them.

"I'm officially whelmed," Robin breathed out, the first of them to step into the room. Nightfall took a cautious step after him, pushing back her want to question Robin's word choice.

"What are these things?" The waterbender asked as she pressed a hand up against one of the containers, surprised at how cool it was.

"Whatever they are, they look like they're generating their own electricity!" Nightlight commented.

"This must be how they hid this massive underground facility from the world," Kid Flash joined the conversation, sharing a concerned look with Nightlight, "the real Cadmus isn't even on the grid!"

Nightfall shook her head and a somber feeling settling in the pit of her stomach, "So, these… _things_ are bred to generate power for this place?"

"Of course!" Aqualad spoke up, realization washing over him, "Even the name is a clue. The Cadmus of myth created a new race by sowing dragon's teeth into the Earth!"

Nightlight groaned and facepalmed, muttering to herself, "How did _I_ miss _that_?"

Nightfall looked confused and Kid Flash cleared things up for her, "Greek lore nerd."

" _Hey_!"

"And this Cadmus creates new life too," Robin stepped over to the console located in the center of the hall, removing a cable from his glove and plugging it in, "Let's find out why."

Nightfall wrapped her arms around herself as she gazed up at the seemingly endless columns of electrical creatures. At the time she was dead _set_ on coming with the four sidekicks on this little adventure, but at that time, she thought they were facing a simple fire.

Not a genetics lab gone rogue.

Despite arguing the contrary, she honestly wasn't sure if she was ready for this. It was all _incredibly_ overwhelming.

"They call them genomorphs," Robin read aloud, voice breaking the waterbender from her thoughts. They all flocked towards the Boy Wonder, crowding around him as he began to read off what he had found, "Whoa, check out the stats on these things. Super strength, razor claws, telepathy- they're living weapons!"

"They're generating an army," Kid Flash surmised, "but for who?"

"There's something else," Robin pointed out, hurriedly typing on his screen, "Project KR. _Ugh_! The file's triple-encrypted, I can't-"

"Don't move!" A new voice bellowed, and Nightfall tensed as the others turned, bodies ready for the attack as a man ran into the room. Long-tailed and clawed creatures- who the waterbender suspected to be the genomorphs Robin had mentioned- followed him in. The masked man stood, glaring down the small group before his eyes grew wide, "Robin… Aqualad… Kid Flash… Nightlight? And…"

"At least he got your name right," Robin jested as he continued to hack, and Kid Flash tossed him an annoyed frown, "but it seems Nightfall's still rather unknown."

Said girl crossed her arms and rolled her eyes, hissing, "Not _all_ of us have _years_ of superhero-ing under out belts!"

Robin chuckled to himself but said no more as Aqualad stepped forward, "I know you." His brows furrowed, "You're Guardian. A hero."

"I do my best," Guardian replied with a nod, but Kid Flash's eyes narrowed.

"Then what are _you_ doing here?"

"I'm the head of security, you're trespassing," Guardian responded easily, and the genomorphs at his side snarled and snapped their teeth. Nightfall's heart began to pound once more as unease began to fill her being.

Nightlight scowled as she floated up a foot, "I don't think the _League_ is going to approve of you _breeding_ weapons down here!"

The atmosphere darkened slightly as Guardian frowned, confusion evident on his face, "What are you…" The small genomorph perched upon the older 'hero's' shoulder shifted, its horns glowing a soft red, and Guardian placed a hand to his forehead, "My head…" His eyes suddenly shot open, pupils wide and face suddenly angered as he pointed a finger at the group of sidekicks, snarling, "Get them! Take them down, _hard_! No mercy!"

Nightfall squeaked and took a step back, the genomorphs snarling as they leapt forward. Robin reacted the fastest, flipping forwards and throwing down a smoke screen. It erupted and the genomorphs were hidden from view temporarily, their snarls and growls the only sign they were still there.

A shadow lunged her way, and Nightfall dove to the side as a genomorph sailed over her. It landed on the ground, sliding a few feet before digging its claws into the ground to stop itself. The waterbender whipped the water out of her water pouch as the genomorph turned back on her.

She flicked her hand the genomorph's way and a water whip sailed towards the creature, knocking it to the side. Nightlight flew above the girl, launching pink energy bursts as Aqualad faced Guardian. Kid Flash raced up a wall, tackling a genomorph that was creeping Nightfall's to the side and Robin was no longer in sight.

A genomorph charged towards Aqualad, who was laying on the ground after being tossed by Guardian, and Nightfall collected her water before launching it again. It shot through the air and curled around the leg of the genomorph just as it leapt at the Atlantean.

Nightfall jerked her arm back, pulling the genomorph away. It crashed to the ground, Aqualad jutting his foot out to knock the creature out. He nodded his thanks to the young brunette, and she responded with a quick nod of her own.

Aqualad suddenly opened his mouth, seafoam eyes wide as he called out, "Nightfall! Behind you!"

The waterbender whirled around as a genomorph aimed to tackle her. Before she had a chance to react or do anything, a pink bubble appeared around her, and the genomorph bounced off of the shield.

Nightfall glanced up through the pink shield to see Nightlight floating above her, arm extended towards the shield, "Uh, thanks?" She called out to the other girl.

The pink eyed girl nodded in response and Nightfall cried out as the bubble- with her in it- was suddenly jerked. Her blue eyes widened as she suddenly found herself floating, stuck in the pink bubble as Nightlight flew them to safety.

Nightfall frowned as they flew over the battle, crossing her arms and pouting slightly. She thought she had been fairing pretty well in the battle and wanted to continue fighting, but now she was being carried like a child in a giant pink bubble.

 _You're doing great, Nightfall!_

A genomorph bounced off the side of the bubble, the sudden noise startling the waterbender. A small crack formed on the bubble, tiny cracks splintering off it in all directions and Nightfall eyed it wearily, hoping the bubble wouldn't burst so she didn't fall.

Nightlight landed next to Kid Flash, who looked disgruntled as he glared at Robin, who was hacking into the elevator. She dropped her hand as her pink glow faded, the bubble surrounding Nightfall dissipating.

Nightfall propped her hands on her hips as the elevator door slid open with a hiss, Robin being the first to dart in. She turned towards Nightlight, "A warning next time would be nice."

Nightlight shrugged and entered the elevator alongside Kid Flash, Nightfall trailing behind them, "Sorry, we needed to get out of there."

"Aqualad!" Robin called out, not giving Nightfall a chance to respond to the girl. She turned her head, watching as the Atlantean rounded a corner, entering a straightaway and making a beeline towards the elevator with a handful of genomorphs on his tail.

Aqualad launched himself towards the elevator and when he landed inside, Robin slammed his fist into a button on the elevator's panel, the doors sliding shut. The metal door vibrated as the genomorphs slammed into the closed doors, and Nightfall flinched back slightly.

She leaned back, head resting against the cool wall of the elevator. The adrenaline in her system began to slowly dissipate, and it was replaced with a feeling of anxiousness and worry.

"Wait, we're going down?" Nightfall suddenly spoke up, blue eyes widening as she stared at the numbers above the door increased.

Kid Flash glanced up at the numbers before whirling on his best friend, " _Dude_ , out is _up_!"

"Excuse me?" Robin scowled, crossing his arms and standing his ground, "Project Kr is _down_ , sublevel fifty-two. We _need_ to check it out!"

" _We_ need to, or _you_ need to?" Nightlight questioned harshly, arms crossed and Robin looked down.

"This is getting out of control," Aqualad sighed, exasperated, "Perhaps… perhaps we should contact the League."

Nightfall's stomach flopped at the mention of the League- who her _dad_ was a member of. He'd have her head for disobeying orders and not saying put, nonetheless putting herself in so much danger. That was the last thing she wanted… she knew it was inevitable, but she wasn't exactly ready to face him right now…

Robin looked like he wanted to say something more when the elevator chimed, the number fifty-two gazing back at them from above the door, challenging and taunting them as the doors slide open. Robin quickly moved and darted out of the elevator, being the first to rush ahead.

Aqualad shook his head and Kid Flash glanced up at him, "We are already here?"

"Cause that makes things better," Nightlight retorted as she flew past the speedster. She kept herself floating in the air as her pink eyes took in the surrounding area, nose crinkling in disgust. It looked like intestines. She was _not_ going to touch anything down here.

Nightfall was the last one to exit the elevator, Aqualad asking the girl if she was okay. She nodded in response, telling him that she was fine, and the two were off the catch up with the others. They found Robin and Kid Flash crouched behind some barrels, Nightlight nowhere in sight, and a fork in the road standing ahead of them.

"Okay, Rob," Kid Flash whispered, "which way?"

"Yeah, bizarre looking hallway number one," He gestured towards the left, "or bizarre looking hallway number two." He gestured to the right.

"My vote is _neither_ ," Nightlight spoke, and Nightfall jumped, eyes wide as she glanced around. The other girl still wasn't in sight, but she had _definitely_ heard her voice.

The speedster noticed the waterbender's confusion and spoke, "She's invisible."

 _That cleared up a lot of things_ …

"Oh."

"Halt!"

A strong voice commanded, and Nightfall paled at the thought Guardian and his genomorph companions had caught up to them. When she glanced over, she saw a humanoid figure standing in the shadows, one that was smaller than Guardian's own figure, but when it stepped into the light, she realized how humanoid it _wasn't_.

The figure had pale grey skin coupled with bright red eyes, and vaguely resembled a genomorph. Two large horns protruded from its forehead, its ears pointed. If the figures appearance wasn't weird enough, what made it weirder was the fact it was wearing a _lab coat_ and _formal clothes_.

Making the decision for the small team of sidekicks, the figure raised its hand up, its horns glowing a bright red, and a group of barrels rose upwards. The barrels shot forward when the figure extended its hand, and Nightlight revealed herself.

A pink dome appeared around the five, deflecting the barrels as they exploded upon contact. She dropped the shield and they raced off, darting down bizarre hallway number two since the figure made the first hallway not an option.

More explosions rang out behind them, but Nightfall didn't dare look behind her as she ran alongside Aqualad. Kid Flash had used his superspeed to pull ahead of the group, and when they rounded a corner there was a large door, the speedster having propped it open with a metallic barrel.

"Hurry!" He waved at them.

Nightfall pushed herself, heart racing and adrenaline once again coursing through her veins. She darted through the small opening after Robin, with Nightlight and Aqualad entering behind her. A group of genomorphs had appeared behind them at some point in time, but they crashed into the closed door once Aqualad kicked away the cannister that had propped it open.

Robin plugged into the door's mainframe, fingers flying across his holographic keyboard. He glanced up once his work was complete, masked eyes setting on Aqualad, "I disabled the door, we're safe."

"We're _trapped_." Aqualad corrected and Robin shrugged.

Nightfall doubled over and panted slightly, her hands on her knees. Sweat dripped down her forehead, and her hair hung limply around her face, her headband barely holding back her messy bangs now. She pulled her headband out as Robin walked towards her, doing her best to fix her disheveled locks.

"You alright, Nightfall?"

"I've been better," She shrugged, dropping her hands once her headband was back in place.

Robin sighed, "You know you could've stayed behind if you felt you weren't ready."

"It's a bit late for that now, isn't it?"

"Uh, guys," Kid Flash's voice interrupted the two's short conversation, directing their attention towards the speedster, "You should see this."

He pressed his finger down on a button on a control panel and a dull glow began to glow brighter and brighter until the pod before them was fully basked in the light. Nightfall felt the blood drain from her face, Robin going stiff beside her as Kid Flash and Nightlight looked on in shock.

 _Superman._

Inside the tube was a man, but he wasn't an ordinary man. He _identically_ resembled Superman, the only difference being the man in front of them was obviously younger. He was clothed in a bright white body suit, Superman's defining red symbol plastered across his chest.

"Big K, little r," Kid Flash realized, turning towards the others, "the atomic symbol for Krypton!"

"So Project Kr is… _Superman_?" Nightfall tried to surmise, but the thought didn't sit well with her.

"Or Superman's clone." Nightlight added and Nightfall glanced at her.

"Robin," Aqualad shook his head and glanced at the young hacker, "hack."

"Huh? Oh, right, right."

Robin stepped up towards the console after shaking his shock away. He removed a cord from his gauntlet, plugging it into the computer. Multiple Robin faces appeared on the screen as he hacked into the computer, bypassing the firewalls and breaking into the files. Nightfall found her gaze being pulled back to the pod, disbelief still evident on her face.

"Weapon designation: Superboy, a clone force grown in… _sixteen_ _weeks_? From DNA acquired from Superman…"

Nightfall glanced back as Aqualad's face hardened, " _Stolen_ from Superman."

"There's no way the big guy knows _anything_ about this," Kid Flash agreed.

"Does it say how…" Nightfall spoke up, voice quiet and the others glanced her way, "how they got his DNA?"

Robin diverted his gaze back to the files he was scrolling through, looking up a few seconds later with a shake of his head, "No, it doesn't say anything about how they got Superman's DNA, but it does say the solar suit he's wearing allows him to absorb yellow sun radiation twenty-four seven."

Nightfall nodded and Nightlight spoke up, looking at the tiny genomorphs sitting within the clone's pod, "And what about these little guys? They look like the one Guardian had…"

"Genomorph gnomes, telepathic, force-feeding him an education."

"And we can guess what else," Kid Flash muttered darkly.

"They're turning Superman's… _son_ into a slave of sorts…" Nightfall murmured, blue eyes gazing over the clone's sleeping face, "and no one but us knows."

" _Now_ we contact the League," Aqualad's voice was firm as he tapped the Atlantean symbol on his build, a soft glow arising from it. There was a brief pause, and Robin shook his head as Nightfall pulled the emergency communicator from her ear, having gotten nothing but static from it.

"No signal."

"We in too deep… literally," Kid Flash commented dryly with a frown.

Nightfall, after placing her communicator back in her belt, wrapped her arms around herself. The day had taken a turn for the worse. It was supposed to be a simple fire… a simple in and out mission, but now they were trapped.

With Superman's clone nonetheless.

Worry and panic bubbled up within her stomach, and the waterbender clenched her eyes shut and sucked in a deep breath to calm her nerves. Panicking now wasn't going to get her anywhere…

 _Just keep it cool, Nightfall…_

"Are we…" Four eyes flickered towards Nightfall, who had broken the silence, "are we just going to leave him like this?"

Something about this whole thing just didn't sit right with her- and it wasn't the fact they found Superman's clone. She didn't like the idea of leaving him here… a powerful weapon in the hands of _whoever_ ran Cadmus.

That wasn't a good thing.

And apparently she wasn't the only one with that sentiment.

"This is wrong," Kid Flash agreed, and turned towards Aqualad, "We can't leave him like this."

Aqualad's seafoam eyes turned thoughtful, and his gaze flickered to the ground until he glanced back up, "Set him free, do it." He ordered Robin.

The Boy Wonder made a move to open the pod, but Nightlight called out to him, "Wait!" All eyes turned towards her, "I'm not comfortable with this either, but what if he's not friendly?"

She raised a valid point, Nightfall thought, but they still couldn't leave him?

"Does he not deserve his own life to live, Nightlight?" Aqualad questioned.

"Yeah, it's not right to keep him trapped like this. We can take him to Superman!"

The pink eyed girl frowned, looking at the clone until she glanced back at the others, "I know but," She sighed, still not totally convinced. It wasn't that she wanted to do nothing, but they also needed to think things through. So far on their journey through Cadmus, everything they've come across had wanted to injure or kill them.

So would this clone be any different?

"Okay," Nightlight relented, floating a few feet back from the pod.

Robin nodded and began to fulfil Aqualad's earlier order, tapping away at some keys before sliding his fingers downwards. The glass pod hissed as smoke rolled off the smooth edges and the glass doors began to slowly descend downwards, removing Superboy from his confines.

Nightfall could hear her heart hammering in her ears as they all stood in anticipation, waiting to see what would happen. The horns on the genomorphs situated inside the glass pod began to glow softly, but the boy's eyes remained shut.

For a few seconds, nothing happened, but then Superboy's fingers flexed and curled, the sounds of knuckles cracking echoing in the cavernous space and sending chills down Nightfall's spine. Blue eyes snapped open, wild and full of unknown anger. Giving no one time to react, the clone flew forward, tackling Aqualad to the ground and pounding his fists into him.

Robin, Nightlight, and Kid Flash immediately ran towards Superboy, latching onto the clone in an effort to pull him off of the Atlantean. Nightfall wanted to help, but at the sudden attack she found herself petrified and frozen, mind struggling to figure out what she should do.

Kid Flash was knocked back where he went crashing through a glass case, the shards raining down upon him. Nightlight's eyes widened as she whirled around, dropping her grip on Superboy and crying out, "Kid!"

"Wait, Nightlight!" Robin tried, still struggling to hold onto the clone, who was still pummeling Aqualad. Nightlight ignored the Boy Wonder, flying over to the speedster's side to check on him.

Robin clenched his teeth and Nightfall suddenly found herself snapping out of it, albeit momentarily. She darted forward and latched herself onto Superboy's back, holding onto dear life as he thrashed about.

"On my mark," Nightfall glanced over at Robin, who was also still clingy to Superboy, but he held a small pellet in one hand, "Move!" She nodded her head and the hacker slammed the small pellet just below the clone's mouth, and Robin grabbed the girl's arm before pulling her off Superboy's back as the two jumped to the side.

Superboy backed away, smoke billowing out from the pellet and causing him to hack and cough. Aqualad leapt up from the ground, using the distraction as an opportunity to deliver a swift kick to the clone's firm chest and knocking him to the side.

Robin pulled out a taser as the smoke dissipated and Superboy righted himself. He extended the electrical wires towards the clone, but Superboy responded faster by reaching over and grabbing and unsuspecting Nightlight by her cape, who had been previously distracted by the downed Kid Flash.

She yelped as she was suddenly yanked, but before she could make a move to escape Superboy's grasp, Robin's electrical wires latched onto her chest and she was suddenly electrocuted.

Robin made haste to turn off the taser, but it was too late as Nightlight's body slumped in Superboy's grip. He tossed her body to the side, the force yanking the taser from Robin's grasp as she went sailing through the air, collapsing limply in a heap next to Kid Flash.

And then there was three.

Nightfall could feel panic bubbling upon within her once more as she stepped back from the seething Superboy, Robin having placed himself between her and the clone. _Half_ of the sidekicks she looked up to were down for the count, leaving just her, Aqualad, and Robin to deal with this mess they made.

It was getting harder and harder for her to _not_ breakdown right then and there.

Superboy advanced towards them, Robin whipping out a few birdarangs before releasing them. They sailed through the air where they collided with the clone's chest, but they bounced harmlessly off of him before clanging uselessly to the ground.

 _"Enough_!" Superboy was suddenly sent flying, Aqualad glaring hard at him after hitting the clone with one of his water hammers, "We are _trying_ to help you!"

The glass pod that once housed the clone exploded as Superboy leapt through it, and Robin tackled Nightfall out of the way as Superboy sailed over their heads. He collided roughly with Aqualad, the two exchanging heavy blows before the clone gained the upper hand. Superboy roughly slammed Aqualad into the ceiling, causing the room to shake as rocks rained down, before slamming the Atlantean into the ground below, landing on his chest and delivering a swift blow to the dark-skinned teens face.

He was down for the count.

Robin helped Nightfall up from the ground, once again positioning himself in front of the girl as Superboy turned on them. The clone advanced and just as he lunged at the two, the Boy Wonder dropped another smoke pellet before yelling, "Split!"

The two each dove towards the sides, going in opposite directions as smoke shrouded the area in cover. Nightfall waved her hand in front of her face in order to clear some of the smoke, all the while rubbing her head as well. In the cover of the smoke, she couldn't exactly see where she was going, so she managed to bang her head against the metal base of the center console.

Nightfall staggered to her feet, vision slightly blurry as her head swirled, the part of her head she hit throbbing. The room had gone silent, and the waterbender felt unease as she glanced around. The smoke was slowly dispersing and when it did, her blue eyes widened.

Superboy had Robin by the cape, the Boy Wonder struggling to unclasp it so he could make his escape. He had almost gotten the cape off when the clone suddenly slammed him into the ground, the force causing the breath to leave Robin's system.

Whilst struggling to regain his breath, Superboy pressed his foot against Robin's torso, not hard enough to break anything, but hard enough to cause not only some nasty bruising, but also prevent him from catching his breath.

Eventually Robin stopped struggling, and Nightfall's breath hitched as she realized she was alone.

 _All_ of the sidekicks she looked up to had been knocked out swiftly by a single foe.

And she stood no chance against him.

Fear began to overwhelm her senses, and any and all advice her dad had once given her in regards to keeping her emotions in check left her body. Her emotions ran rampant, the feeling of loneliness filling every fiber of her being as Superboy stalked towards her.

With every step he took toward her, she tried to take twice as many steps backwards, but it didn't do much good as her back collided with the solid, rocky wall. There was no one to save her- or her newfound friends- now.

They were going to die down here, and the League would never know.

Superboy had gotten within arm's reach of the waterbender now, and she did her best to snarl at him through tear stained cheeks, " _Stay back_!" She lashed out with the remaining water in her water pouch, the water shifting into ice spikes. They bounced off his muscular chest like they were nothing, shattering upon impact and falling to the ground.

Suddenly Superboy's arm shot out, his large hand curling around her neck. Nightfall immediately began to thrash and panic in his grip, oxygen leaving her system with every pained breath, but no more entering as her airways were blocked.

He stared down at her struggling form with emotionless blue eyes, feeling nothing as she clawed at his fingers, "Please," She breathed out, voice soft and strained. She tried to speak more words, but found none would come out as her final breaths left her system.

Nightfall's mind began to feel numb as darkness crept up in the corners of her vision. As she stared pleadingly at Superboy, all she could see in his cold gaze was the disappointed face of her father.

Her struggling began to lessen, and eventually her hands dropped limply to her side, all ability to hold them up leaving as the lack of oxygen caused her body to become unresponsive. Nightfall's eyes rolled into the back of her head as her eyelids slowly slipped shut, the disappointed gaze of her father melting into the unforgiving and cold face of Superboy.

The face that would forever haunt her.

* * *

 **A/N: Hey guys! Thank you all so much for the amazing support so far! I really appreciate it! You are all absolutely amazing! :D**

 **So as promised, here's another chapter of this fic! I'm going to try and update Falcon next though, so keep an eye out for that, and then I'll jump back into this fic and try to get on a rotating schedule of updating Falcon, and then this fic, and then Falcon, and then this fic, and you guys get the jist!**

 **Nightlight/Shadow Hunter still belong to my great friend, xDarkHikarix on deviantART! Make sure you check her stuff out to so you can see what the pink bae looks like! :)**

 **Reviews:**

* * *

 **ARandomChicken:** Aw, thank you so much! That really means a lot! Yesss, 'Anna is definitely a fangirl who wants to be a superhero but isn't exactly cut out for that life yet! As you all will hopefully see... I'm glad you like her and her dad's relationship! I've been working on it for a long time and it's honestly one of my favorite OC/OC interactions I have! Thanks so much again! :)

 **BloodyAvenger21:** Heck yeah, all the Avatar vibes! ATLA was honestly such a HUGE inspiration back when I made Kayanna and Koda, hence their waterbending abilities as well as Inuit heritage (that I hope to explore more!). I've actually made one Dick/'Anna offspring already! Her name is Maizy but as it stands now, she's an alternate universe child because spoilers... And yes, I plan to use Dick's Romani heritage! At some point in their relationship, Dick actually teaches 'Anna some Romani and 'Anna teaches him some Inuit! Thank you so much for your kind words!

 **locky3670:** Thank you, thank you, thank you! That really means a lot to me- even more so since you're not deterred by another Robin shipping! I love my little birb child so much. It's hard to _not_ ship him with 'Anna!

 **Lil Miss Sunshine14:** Thank you! :D

 **Guest:** Thanks a lot!

* * *

 **Okay, so I am by no means an expert in the Inuit language, so I am terribly sorry if the little Inuit I have above is wrong. It's not exact translation, of course, but I tried my best and spent like a good hour looking up English to Inuit translators and dictionaries and that's the best I could come up with! More will be revealed as the story progresses, but Koda and Kayanna are Inuit in descent!**

 **PLEASE let me know if one of my readers just so happens to speak Inuit (any of the variations) or has any tips and stuff for more accurate Inuit speak! Google translate does NOT have an English to Inuit translator, so like I said, I had to look up dictionaries and stuff!**

* * *

 **Question of the chapter:** If you had to become an animal, what animal would you become?

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 **Remember to leave a review! They keep me going and I LOVE hearing from all of my amazing readers! Your reviews are ALWAYS the best and I LOVE any and all feedback you may have to offer!**

 **Thanks again, guys! :3**

 **-SnowWolf22**

 **P.s. For those concerned about who Nightlight is, I promise more information on her will be revealed! Nightfall is the main OC of this story, so you're going to mostly be seeing stuff pertaining to Nightfall, but stuff about Nightlight will be added here and there so you will be learning more about her!**


	3. Fireworks

**Young Justice is not mine.**

 **Flames will not be tolerated, but I gladly accept constructive criticism.**

* * *

 **Fireworks**

"Sometimes we are taken into trouble waters not to drown, but to be cleansed."

\- Lolly Daskal

* * *

 **UNKNOWN**

Kayanna laughed.

The sound was muffled slightly by the sound of splashing water as she raced along the shore, her brother, Kyle, chasing after her. Her mother, Elizabeth, was sat on a towel on the beach, watching her children fondly as her father, Koda, grilled some hot dogs.

Kayanna had always enjoyed the water, and today was no exception.

 ** _Time runs short._**

Kayanna blinked.

There was a man- _no_ , a boy- with raven black hair and bright blue eyes that appeared and stood across the beach from Kayanna and her family. He stood their stoically, emotionless gaze glued to the brunette as she attempted to ignore him, but she found herself constantly looking over her shoulder at the boy.

And each time she glanced over, it looked as though he was getting closer and closer.

 ** _You must awaken._**

Kayanna's breath hitched.

Time froze, the ocean breeze stilling as the world began to blur and melt away. Kayanna felt a presence behind her and whirled around to greet it. She startled slightly as she came face to face with the boy from earlier. His eyes had darkened significantly, anger and darkness swimming within the pools of blue and Kayanna's heart began to beat wildly.

The boys knuckles cracked as he clenched and unclenched his fists.

 ** _You must awaken- NOW!_**

And then he attacked.

* * *

Nightfall awoke with a violent jolt, a scream ripping from her throat. Her blue eyes were wide with panic as her heart beat loudly in her ears. Her eyes focused on Superboy, the clone who had mercilessly choked her into unconsciousness.

He was the boy from her dream.

A new wave of panic washed over the waterbender and she sucked in a sharp breath as his eyes snapped her way. She tried to struggle, but found herself trapped.

There was something holding onto her wrists and ankles, and the waterbender tugged at them with all her might, only for them to not budge an inch. She ignored the pain that flared up under the restraints as she continued to struggle and cry out.

"Nightfall!"

A blur of voices called out her name, but she ignored them as she continued to tug at her restraints. They wouldn't budge, and that only caused her to panic more.

 _My dad is going to kill me. My dad is going to kill me. My dad is going to kill me._

"Quit staring!" Kid Flash cried out, and the clone's attention snapped to the speedster, "You're freaking her out!"

Aqualad glanced at the struggling girl, demeanor calm as he voiced, "Nightfall, please, calm yourself. You are only going to hurt yourself."

Nightfall turned her head to look at the Atlantean, meeting his composed seafoam eyes. Her struggling had decreased as her strength diminished and Aqualad told her to take a deep breath, with which she did, and it helped to settle her racing heart.

She took in another deep breath, eyes slipping shut. Her dad had taught her different breathing exercises to help stay calm, but she was having a hard time _actually_ doing one because every time she thought of her dad, the feeling of panic would be right back again.

But at least with Aqualad's help she was able to calm down slightly.

"Now quit staring at me!" Kid Flash huffed, "You're creeping _me_ out!"

"Uh, KF, how about we try and _not_ tick off the guy who can fry us with a _look_?" Robin suggested from his pod, shifting his worried gaze from Nightfall into an annoyed look aimed at his friend. The speedster merely shrugged.

"We only sought to help you." Aqualad commented coolly.

Kid Flash wasn't as calm as the Atlantean, "Yeah! We _free_ you and you turn on us! What's that all-"

"Kid, _please_ , be quiet now," Aqualad interrupted the speedster with a soft glare before turning back towards Superboy, "I believe our new friend was not fully in control of his actions."

Nightfall scowled and pulled at her restraints once more, "Doesn't make it right." Her panic had slowly melted into anger and frustration, and all she wanted to do was punch the clone in his stupid perfect face.

Superboy's gaze shifted to the girl for a mere second before focusing back on Aqualad and ignoring the waterbender's comment, "W-what if-" He paused, struggling with his words and speech, "What if I wasn't?"

"He can _talk_?!"

The clone wasn't all too happy with Kid Flash's outburst as he pointedly stated, " _Yes_ , he can."

After receiving pointed looks from his best friend and Aqualad, the speedster shrunk back and shrugged, "What? It's not like I said it…"

"You should think before you speak, Kid," Nightlight spoke up, voice groggy and words slightly slurred.

"Nightlight!" Kid Flash's head snapped towards the girl, a small smile on his face before it disappeared when he took in her appearance. Her face was pale and eyes half lidded as if she was trying to stay awake, "What did you _do_ to her?" The speedster whirled on Superboy.

"Due to the nature of her powers, the Nightlight was heavily sedated. The sedation should wear off soon."

"You okay, Light?" Robin asked their pink friend.

She nodded her head weakly, "I'll be fine."

Aqualad looked thoughtful as he spoke, "The genomorphs taught you telepathically, correct?"

"Yes," Superboy agreed, "They taught me much. I can read, write. I know the name of things."

"Gold star for you," Nightfall grumbled, meeting the clone's eyes for a second before she snapped her gaze to the rocky ground. It was suffice to say Superboy made the girl feel uneasy.

"But have you actually _seen_ them?" Robin questioned, "Have you ever seen the sky? Or the sun? In person?"

Superboy looked pensive for a moment, before a dejected look crossed his face, "Images are implanted in my mind, but no, I have not seen them."

Under other circumstances, Nightfall might've felt bad for the boy.

"Do you know what you are?" Aqualad asked, " _Who_ you are?"

"I am the _Superboy_ ," Superboy informed the teens and he stood up straighter, "A genomorph. A clone made from the DNA of the Superman, created to replace him should he perish. To destroy him should he turn from the Light."

 _That didn't sound sketchy…_

"To be like Superman is a worthy aspiration…" Aqualad admitted with a small nod, "but like Superman, you deserve a life of your own beyond that solar suit, beyond your pod, and beyond Cadmus."

"I live _because_ of Cadmus!" Superboy erupted with clenched fists, "It is my _home_!"

"Some home," Nightfall frowned, "It's just a test tube-"

"We can show you the _sun_!" Robin interjected before the waterbender could say more.

Superboy looked over at the Boy Wonder, a look of hope and wonder crossing his face. Cadmus may have been his home, where he was 'born' and created, but these teens before him were giving him hope of another life.

"Uh, pretty sure it's after midnight," Kid Flash chimed in sheepishly, "but we can show you the moon!" He quickly added.

"We can show you," Aqualad paused, correcting his words, "No, _introduce you_ to Superman."

" _No_ , they can't." A new voice piped up and Nightfall looked up to see a scientist with long, greasy hair pulled back into a ponytail enter the room, flanked by Guardian and another scientist, "They'll be _otherwise_ occupied."

Nightfall didn't like the dark look in his eyes as he scanned the pods in front of him. She struggled in her restraints once more, tugging at the metal withholding her arms and legs. The scientist took note of her struggling, and focused his gaze on her.

"You wear the symbol of Nighttide," He noted and the waterbender frowned at the mention of her father's name, "yet I've never seen you before. Regardless, you may still prove to be useful." He swept away from her pod, turning around to face the female scientist that had entered with him, "Activate the cloning process."

NightFall's eyes widened as Robin quipped lightly, " _Pass_ , Batcave's crowded enough."

"And get the weapon back in its pod!"

"Hey!" Kid Flash cried out, "How come he gets to call Supey an _it_?" Robin glared at his friend and Nightlight rolled her eyes. She attempted to activate her powers, hoping to go intangible so as to slip out of the restraints, but she was still groggy and lacked the energy to use her powers.

"I can't be _cloned_!" Nightfall breathed out in a panic, blue eyes wide, "My dad will _kill_ me!"

Superboy kept his gaze set on the teens restrained before him, Aqualad meeting the clone's gaze with his, "Help us, _please_."

When the clone didn't move, he greasy haired scientist scowled, stepping up to Superboy, "Don't start thinking _now_." A genomorph jumped from his shoulder to Superboy's, its horns glowing a pale red, "See, you're not a _real_ boy. You're a weapon, and you belong to _me_! Well, to Cadmus. Same thing. Now get back to your _pod_!"

For a few seconds Superboy stood in his place, but then he reluctantly turned away. The massive steel doors slid shut behind him as he left the room, and Nightfall felt another wave of panic begin to bubble up within her.

The scientist nodded at the tech, who had positioned herself behind a control console. She didn't look too happy to be there, but she didn't utter a word of protest as she fiddled with the buttons and controls in front of her. With an almost sympathetic glance, she pressed one final button, and the cloning process was activated.

Mechanical arms burst forth from the bottom of each of the pods, a menacing looking set of syringes positioned at the end of each of the arms. Nightfall tried to shrink back into her pod, but had nowhere to go as they advanced in on her.

They connected with her chest, and a feeling like no other flared up in her chest, massive jolts of electricity coursing through her body. A silent scream ripped from her throat, mixing with the screams from her friends as their DNA was forcibly drawn from their bodies.

As soon as the pain had started, it stopped.

Nightfall sagged in her restraints, head hanging down as she breathed harshly. A tear streaked down her cheek as her fingers twitched without her control.

Superboy started towards the trapped teens, tossing the door he ripped off its hinges to the side. The scientists and Guardian charged the clone, hoping to subdue him, but they were tossed roughly to the side and then ignored.

"Are you here to help us or fry us?" Kid Flash questioned skeptically when Superboy stopped before the group.

He narrowed his eyes, but nothing happened, "Huh, I don't seem to have heat vision, so I guess helping is my only option."

"Oh, goody."

"Ah, _finally_!" Robin's pod snapped open with a hiss, the Boy Wonder dropping to the ground after successfully freeing himself, "Lucky Batman _isn't_ here. He'd have my head for taking so long!"

"Seriously, _that_ 's what you're worried about?" Kid Flash frowned, eyeing his best friend as he moved behind a computer console, "The _whole_ League will have our heads after tonight!"

 _My dad is going to_ murder _me._

Nightfall groaned mentally, not looking forward to a reconciliation with her father once this whole shindig was over.

"We _do_ have more pressing matters to attend to." Nightlight commented from besides the Boy Wonder. He didn't even flinch, having already known the girl had freed herself from her pod.

Robin ignored his best friend and Nightlight as he pressed a button on the computer console, the glass lids on their pods disappearing, "Free Aqualad, I'll get Kid Mouth and Nightfall."

" _Don't_ you give me orders either." Superboy scowled before leaping onto the Atlantean's pod and easily removing the metal cuffs with his strength. Robin rolled his before climbing onto Kid Flash's pod and getting to work on the speedster's restraints.

Superboy helped Aqualad to the ground before turning and leaping up onto Nightfall's pod. She startled slightly, having not expected the clone before she shrunk back against her pod. He reached for a cuff and the waterbender tried to stop him, "Its fine. You can leave me here. _Robin_ said he'd get me out."

"This is faster." Superboy simply replied, ignoring the girl's wishes and freeing her of her restraints.

Nightfall involuntarily fell forward at the loss of something holding her up, and the clone caught her before sweeping her up into his arms. She cried out as he jumped to the ground.

"Woah, _woah,_ " The waterbender practically _threw_ herself out of Superboy's arms, hands coming up in a mock karate pose as she distanced herself from him, " _No_ touchie!"

Superboy looked mildly confused, but Robin called out to the duo and caught their attention before he could say anything more, "Come on! We need to get out of here."

With a quick glare at the clone, Nightfall darted off after the Boy Wonder as greasy, ponytail man yelled at them, "Y-you'll never get out of here! I'll have you back in your pods by _morning_!"

Robin paused in the doorframe, turning back towards the scientist and empty pods with a frown, "That guy is _not_ whelmed. Not whelmed at all." He pulled out several explosives as Nightfall turned towards Kid Flash, aiming to ask about the Boy Wonder's _word_ choice.

The speedster shook his head, " _Don't_ ask."

An eruption filled the room as the rest of the teens filed out, the pods they were once trapped in and the containers containing their DNA going up in flames. Nightfall ran alongside Kid Flash and Robin, Nightlight flying ahead to catch up with Superboy and Aqualad.

"We are still forty-two levels below ground, but if we can make the elevator-" Aqualad spoke, only to trail off as a group of mammoth sized genomorphs rounded the corner. The group came to a standstill, only to look behind themselves as sacs on the walls began to glow, more genomorphs slithering out from within them.

Nightlight cringed from her place in the air, "Now that's just _gross_."

A meaty fist came barreling towards the group of teens, and Nightfall found herself being pushed to the side by Kid Flash as the group scattered. Nightlight grabbed Robin as an oversized foot came down before him. Turning the two intangible, they flew through the genomorph before arriving on the other side.

Nightfall came to a halt beside Aqualad, who had turned to look at their newfound friend. Superboy had neglected to dodge, choosing instead to attack. The hallway shuttered violently, chunks falling from the ceiling as the clone slammed a genomorph into the wall.

Nightlight threw up a shield just as a large chunk of debris fell their way and Aqualad shouted at the enraged clone, " _Superboy_ , the goal is to _escape_ , not to bury ourselves _alive_!"

"You want _escape_?" Superboy screamed, picking up one of the large genomorphs he had taken down. He spun it around before throwing it at the two that remained, giving the group a momentary reprieve.

Nightlight blinked, "Well, alright then."

They reached the elevator shaft, and Aqualad pried it open with his strength, the force crumpling the metal. Nightfall paled at the thought of going into yet _another_ elevator shaft as she looked down the shaft while the others looked up.

Kid Flash zipped into the empty elevator shaft once the coast was clear, perching himself onto a lower ledge. Robin shot his grapple up into the shaft, and once he was sure he had purchase, he wrapped a hand around Nightfall's waist, pulling him and the girl upwards.

"Hey!" She cried out, suddenly finding herself in the air without a warning. The waterbender threw her arms around Robin's shoulders as the wind whipped past their faces.

Nightlight flew into the elevator shaft next and grabbed Kid Flash's hand, flying the two upwards while Superboy grabbed Aqualad around the torso. He super-leaped into the air, fist extended outwards as he attempted to fly. The power was lacking, however, and their momentum was lost as they began to plummet into the darkness below, "I-I'm falling."

Nightfall watched, eyes wide, from the ledge Robin had set the two on. With quick thinking on his part, the Boy Wonder whipped out a birdarang, throwing it so it impaled the wall and Aqualad could grab a hold of it.

Superboy looked sullen and dejected as he hung in Aqualad's grip, eyes downcast, "Superman can fly, why can't _I_ fly?"

"I don't know," Nightlight assured, floating over and grabbing Superboy's arm to help steady him as he settled on the ledge below, "but it does look like you can make pretty great leaps with your strength."

"Still impressive," Kid Flash chimed in in agreeance from his place on the ledge.

"Thank you."

"Guys, this'll have to be our exit!" Robin snapped over the sound of a loud, whirring noise and Nightfall looked up, eyes widening as the elevator came speeding their way.

Superboy and Aqualad easily took down the doors and Nightfall was incredibly relieve to see a _normal_ looking hallway. They were getting somewhere!

The group scrambled into the hallway just before the elevator flew past them. However, things could never be easy and a horde of genomorphs appeared at the opposite end of the hallway, jaws snapping as they screeched at the teens.

"Let's get moving!" Robin cried out before they took off down an adjacent hall. Nightfall was confused as to where they were running to, but _away_ from the genomorphs was better than _towards_ the genomorphs.

"Go left!" Superboy suddenly cried out as they reached a crossroads, " _Left_!"

Kid Flash, who had easily found himself at the head of the group, turned the designated direction, as did the rest of the group, and they found themselves running down another hallway. Another directional command from Superboy, and the group of six found themselves at a dead end.

"Great _directions_ , Supey!" Kid Flash snapped at the clone.

Nightfall scowled, "We're going to get _re-podded_ because of you!"

"No, I… I don't understand."

"Don't apologize!" Robin beamed as his gaze settled on a small vent located at the top of the wall. Nightfall frowned as she followed the Boy Wonder's gaze, not liking where his mind was heading, "This is _perfect_!"

After a little bit of finagling and breaking things, Nightfall found herself crawling through the vents thanks to Robin's _brilliant_ plan. Instead of traveling through a nice open hallway, they were travelling through a gross and _dusty_ ventilation duct that looked like it hadn't been cleaned in _years_.

"At this rate, we'll _never_ get out!" Kid Flash hissed from his place behind Nightlight, whose pink aura illuminated the metallic shaft slightly.

" _Sshhh_!" Superboy hushed the speedster, pausing in his crawling, "Can you guys hear that?"

The group paused and Nightfall glanced back, straining her ears. It took a few seconds before she could hear anything, but when she could, she could _definitely_ make out the faint sound of the horde of genomorphs crawling through the vents behind them.

"Come on, our exits not too far up ahead!" Robin called back to the heroes.

They reached their exit and Robin kicked off the metal grate and Nightfall shimmied out after him. She gave a hand to Aqualad as he came out behind her, and the Atlantean turned to help the others.

Robin had dropped to the floor and removed a metal plate, revealing colorful wires and buttons below. He immediately pulled out a cable from his computer, plugging it in before getting to work on some sort of computer thing. Nightfall assumed he was doing his hacker thing.

A few moments later, and her thoughts were confirmed when a smug Boy Wonder turned to his friends, "I hacked the motion sensors!"

"Sweet," Kid Flash grinned.

Nightfall extended Robin a hand, and he accepted it as she helped hoist him up, "And that means?"

"We should be safe for now, but there's still plenty of them between us and out."

Kid Flash didn't seem fazed as he slipped his goggles over his face, "But that just means I've finally got room to move!" In a blue of yellow, the speedster kicked open the door behind the teens, revealing a stairwell before he began to race up it.

"And somehow he _still_ has the energy to run off on us," Nightlight frowned, evidently unamused as she flew into the stairwell, following after the rogue speedster.

Nightfall shared a look with Aqualad before she followed the three remaining teens into the stairwell. They began to race up the stairs, passing and occasionally having to jump over the downed genomorphs Kid Flash managed to take out.

"More behind us!" Robin called out, eyes on his holo-computer.

Superboy skidded to a halt and turned around, taking out the stairs behind them so the encroaching genomorphs couldn't sneak up on them. Nightfall stumbled as the stairwell shuddered from the force, but quickly caught herself and followed Robin into an open hallway.

Alarms blared loudly and the walls were tinted red from the raging lights. Kid Flash was sprawled out in the middle of the floor, leaving Nightfall a tad bit confused, as he sat up and rubbed his head. It was then her eyes settled on the large wall that did _not_ look normal.

"We're cut off from the street." Aqualad announced.

"Thanks," Kid Flash grumbled, still rubbing his sore head, "My head hadn't noticed."

Nightfall extended him a hand, "Are you alright?" She asked, helping him to his feet.

"I am now that you're here, beautiful."

"Yeah, he's _fine_." Robin shook his head as he pushed past the two, holo-computer up as he attempted to hack the door.

Nightlight floated over to the door as Superboy and Aqualad walked up to it, "I think I can phase us through the door!" She placed her hand on it and attempted to go intangible, but was quick to pull back her arm with a hiss, her hand flickering between densities for a moment. Kid Flash looked on in concern as she explained, "Gah! There's too much iron in the door, I can't take us through."

They moved onto a different plan, Superboy and Aqualad each taking a side of the door and trying to use their combined strengths to get it open. Their attempts were futile as each of them struggled, and Robin called out, "I can't hack this fast enough."

A group of massive genomorphs rounded the corner, growling at the heroes as they closed in on them. Nightfall and the others glanced around for an exit, before the waterbender ran up to one, "Door!" She shouted, pushing it open and not bothering to check the other side as she ran through.

The others followed her, hoping it would lead to freedom.

It did not.

They found themselves at a crossroads once more, but this time each path was blocked by a wall of genomorps, and Guardian stood at the head of them with an emotionless expression. Aqualad slipped into a fighting stance, pulling out his waterbearers and the rest of the teens followed suit, Nightfall pulling the remaining water from her water pouch.

Even though they were outnumbered, they weren't going down without a fight.

Nightfall suddenly felt her body go slack, mind going numb as she collapsed to the ground, the water once in her control pooling out around her.

…

"Nightfall."

Someone shook her shoulder, and the waterbender groaned, shifting slightly before cracking her eyes open. Nightlight was looking down at her, pink eyes filled with worried as she helped the other girl up.

It appeared the others had bounced back rather quickly from their short time unconscious, but in Nightfall's case, she'd never been knocked out _twice_ in a span of not even twelve hours. She could already tell it was taking a toll on her body.

"Are you okay?"

Nightfall nodded as she stood on her feet. A dull throbbing started at the base of her skull, and she could tell it would be a full blown migraine in the span of a few hours.

"Feels like," Nightfall glanced over, watching as Guardian placed a hand on his head. He looked shaken and mildly disoriented, "fog lifting…"

Aqualad glanced at the supposed hero pensively, "Guardian?" His voice was calm, but there was an underlying tone of caution to it.

"Go," Guardian voiced firmly, "I'll deal with _Desmond_."

 _So that was greasy ponytail man's name…_

"I think not," The crowd of genomorph's split, moving to the side to reveal Desmond himself, "I will not lose control of Cadmus, and Project _Blockbuster_ will give me the power to restore it." He held up a small test tube containing a bright blue liquid. It swirled in the test tube, even bubbling slightly before in one quick motion, Desmond downed the liquid.

Pain overtook the scientist's body as he twisted and contorted, bones cracking and Guardian positioned himself in front of the young heroes. Nightfall grimaced as Desmond fell to his knees, clothes ripping off his body as his muscles ballooned in size. His skin began to crack before it to began to rip, revealing a pale blue layer underneath.

The transformation was complete when Desmond stood tall, now about twice the size he once was. Superboy scowled and the others braced for a fight while Nightfall found herself behind the group, eyes wide.

"Everyone back!" Guardian ordered before he charged at the creature, but he was roughly thrown into a wall.

Superboy surged forwards, and the two exchanged blows until Desmond ultimately tackled the clone through the ceiling, creating a massively sized hole.

Robin ran over to it, the rest of the group following suit, "Okay, that's _one_ way to bust through the ceiling!"

"Think lab coat planned that?" Kid Flash asked, grabbing onto his best friend's utility belt as Robin lifted them through the hole with his grapple.

"I doubt he is planning anything anymore," Aqualad tacked on before jumping through the hole to follow after the two boys.

Nightlight extended Nightfall a hand, low key eyeballing the girl to ensure she was okay, "I guess we're going up."

"Unfortunately," The waterbender frowned as she accepted the other girl's hand, and Nightlight flew the two through the opening, adrenaline beginning to course through her veins once more.

They landed on the upper floor just in time to see Superboy get thrown their way, Nightlight reacting fast enough to move herself and Nightfall out of the way of the clone, Kid Flash and Robin moving as well. Aqualad, however, wasn't as lucky and the two boys colliding, skidding back on the ground a few feet.

The group of heroes quickly regrouped, helping Aqualad and Superboy to their feet before turning to face Desmond. Nightfall felt her heart pounding violently in her chest, but instead of her body being filled with fear as she was during their fight against Superboy, she found herself filled with determination.

Though this guy was _twice_ the size of the normal thugs she went up against with her father, Nightfall was determined to aide in the fight and _not_ freeze up this time around.

Kid Flash was the first to take action, zipping forward before skidding underneath the creature's feet. He propped himself up just as Nightlight flew in, launching a barrage of pink disks at Desmond that sent him stumbling backwards, stumbling over the speedster until he fell onto the ground in a heap.

"Learned the one in kindergarten," Kid Flash smirked just as Robin flipped over his friend, releasing a barrage of biradarangs at Desmond. He merely swatted them away before rolling over, only to find himself at Superboy's feet.

Desmond roared in anger before surging to his feet and running into the clone, who had braced himself. The two stumbled backwards into a cement pillar, Superboy deflecting each blow Desmond dealt him. He finally got a good hit in, leaving Superboy slightly disoriented, but when he pulled back to deliver another punch in the face to the clone, but a whip of water curled around his meaty fist, stopping his attack.

Desmond glanced back at the source to see Nightfall struggling to hold onto the water to keep ahold of the creature's fist. Just because she wasn't a Superboy fan didn't mean she wasn't going to help him… they were on the same side after all.

Just as she felt the water in her control slipping, Aqualad launched his own water whip, combing forces with the girl. Together they tugged Desmond backwards, giving Superboy a mini reprieve, but that was all the clone needed.

With Desmond fighting against the two waterbenders, he was too distracted to notice Superboy cock his fist back. As soon as Aqualad and Nightfall dropped their water, effectively releasing the creature, Superboy attacked and sent Desmond flying backwards.

Nightlight swooped in and caught Desmond in a bubble. To focus on maintaining the bubble as the creature pounded against it, she firmly placed her feet on the ground before using what strength she had left to spin the bubble around before throwing it across the room. The bubble dissipated and Desmond went sailing, headfirst, into a pillar, shattering it and causing the room to shake.

As Aqualad and Superboy went after Desmond, Nightfall found herself standing off the side, watching the battle as she struggled to figure out what more she could do to help. She had used what little water she had left in holding back Desmond's fist, but now she was out and on the more useless side of things.

"Nightfall!" A voice cried out, and the waterbender looked towards the source. Robin, who was also standing off the side, pointed to the side, and Nightfall followed his gesture. Her eyes widened in happiness as they settled on a water fountain, nestled between some bathrooms, attached to a wall.

She ran towards the water fountain, ducking slightly as more debris rained down on her. Nightfall pressed the button on the fountain, happy to see water flowing out of the spigot before she stepped backwards.

Nightfall sank into a pose her father had taught her and steadied her breath. She focused on feeling the water concealed behind the fountain before she thrusted her hands forward. For a few seconds nothing happened, but then the fountain began to creak and moan until it suddenly burst, a wave of water erupting from within.

The water swirled around Nightfall as a feeling of giddiness coursed through her veins. She had _never_ had this much water in her control at one time! It was empowering to say the least.

The building shook once more and Desmond roared, causing Nightfall to snap back into focus. Aqualad went flying across the room, Nightlight darting over to catch him before he hit the ground, leaving the creature standing relatively unoccupied in the middle of the room.

With her own version of a battle cry, Nightfall leapt forward before spinning around and jutting her hands forward. The water followed her command, twisting into a strong stream that barreled Desmond's way. It collided with him full force, sending him stumbling to the side and right into Superboy's fist.

Desmond flew through the air before roughly colliding with the ground. He shifted to his stomach and growled as he looked up, deadly gaze set on Nightfall. The creature surged to his feet and made a swipe at the girl.

" _Yikes_!" Nightfall cried out before diving to the side. He whirled on her again, and she collected the water into a tidal wave, jumping onto it like she had seen her father do before surfing away.

Desmond gave chase, making mad swipes at the waterbender as she ducked. They came across a pillar, and Nightfall swiped the tidal wave right to avoid it. Desmond, however, barreled through it, the concrete and rocks falling upon him.

As Desmond reoriented himself, Nightfall skidded to a halt across the room, the water splashing to the ground. Excitement bubbled up within in as she turned and cheered to herself.

"I have _never_ done that successfully before!" She exclaimed to no one in particular.

The ground suddenly began to shake and Nightfall glanced up to see Desmond charging her way. Her face paled, eyes growing wide but before she could retaliate, Kid Flash swooped in and picked the girl up, racing her across the room and setting her beside Robin.

Aqualad and Superboy combined their strength to knock Desmond to the ground once more.

"How about we save the cheering until later, okay beautiful?"

Nightfall rubbed her neck sheepishly and Robin glanced between the two, "I have a plan." He pulled up his holo-computer, which showed a blueprint of the room they were currently in. Six columns appeared, a few showing significant damage to them due to the battle that was currently still raging on.

The room shook once more as another pillar went down.

"Got it?" Robin asked his best friend, who nodded in response, "Good. Go!"

Kid Flash raced off and Nightfall watched as he skidded underneath Superboy, who had been whacked to the side. Desmond eyed the speedster with mild annoyance, halting his attack on Aqualad as Kid Flash punched his face.

When the speedster landed he had a chunk of _something_ in his hand, which he held up and mocked, "Got your nose!"

"That is _so_ gross," Nightlight scowled as she floated at Kid Flash's side.

The speedster wasn't able to retort as Desmond dropped Aqualad and charged at Kid Flash and Nightlight. The two scattered, Kid Flash racing off towards a pillar with the creature on his heels while Nightlight went to aide Aqualad.

"Superboy, Aqualad, Nightlight!" Robin called out to the three, who glanced over at him. He showed them the buildings schematics, including the structural damage and the three nodded in understanding.

"Come and get me, you incredible _bulk_!" Kid Flash placed his back to a pillar, rolling out of the way as Desmond's fist rained down upon him. The pillar shattered, but the speedster wasn't far enough out of harm's way as a piece of debris struck his back, knocking him to the ground.

"Kid!" Nightlight cried out before flying across the room as Robin finished explaining his plan to Superboy and Aqualad. She positioned herself between the still recovering Kid Flash and Desmond before throwing up a bubble.

Desmond's fists bounced harmlessly off of the bubble, but the girl knew it wouldn't last forever. Cracks along the pink dome were already beginning to form, and they grew larger with each blow.

"This one, and that one!" Robin exclaimed, pointing out two pillars, one of which was position behind Desmond. Superboy and Aqualad nodded before taking off, the clone tackling Desmond into the nearest pillar.

Nightlight's bubble dissipated and she pulled Kid Flash over towards Robin, who was drawing an 'x' on the ground in chalk. While Desmond was distracted, Nightfall managed to snag the water she had once been using earlier, picking it up and spreading it across the 'x' the Boy Wonder hard marked out.

Aqualad raced across the room, leading Desmond towards the designated spot. The creature roared and before he could make a swipe at the Atlantean, Superboy emerged and knocked him into the puddle.

Aqualad spun around quickly, electricity sparking up his arms as the heroes cleared the puddle. He slammed his electrified hand into the water, the sparks surging outwards and consuming Desmond. He roared in pain as the electricity coursed through his body.

"Move!" Robin ordered, turning tail and grabbing Nightfall's hand as they ran towards safety. The explosives stuck to the remaining pillars began to glow and beep sporadically before they erupted.

The building shuttered as a shockwave decimated the ceiling and remaining pillars, massive chunks of debris raining down upon the heroes. When it was clear they weren't making it to safety, Nightlight threw up a massive pink shield as Robin tackled Nightfall to the ground.

Nightlight grunted and cried out as the force of the debris falling on the bubble caused her to fall to her knees, but she still kept the bubble up. Kid Flash was at her side, green eyes ablaze with worry as sweat streaked down her forehead. Tiny cracks danced along the bubble as more debris was piled on.

When all seemed to be settled, Nightlight, with the help of Kid Flash, staggered to her feet. With a harsh cry she swiped her hands roughly to the side and the bubble erupted outwards, the debris that had collected on top of it being thrown to the side, clearing a space for the heroes.

Robin moved away from Nightfall as he climbed to his feet before offering the girl his hand. She accepted it and he easily pulled the waterbender to her feet. They took in their surroundings as Nightlight doubled over, sucking in deep breaths, and Kid Flash placed a hand on her back.

Despite the area looking like a _huge_ disaster zone, thanks to Nightlight's shield the small group of heroes had escaped the wreckage relatively unscathed. There were a few nicks and bruises here and there, and somewhere along the line the front of Superboy's solar suit had gotten ripped, but otherwise, they looked good.

"We did it," Aqualad breathed out, mildly disbelieved.

Robin propped his hands on his hips, sharing a look with his best friend, "Was there ever any doubt?" The two shared a high five and a short laugh.

"There was a lot of doubt, actually." Nightfall shrugged and Robin turned to the girl, beaming.

Before she had time to react, he pulled her into a friendly hug, his normal cackle echoing in the night, "Oh come on, Nighty! Live a little!" Nightfall struggled for a second in his grasp before rolling her eyes and giving into the embrace, arms curling around his torso as she buried her head into his shoulder.

The comfort she felt in his arms was short lived, however, as the two pulled away and the events of the night hit the girl full force.

It was as if all of the energy suddenly left her body, and the pain the adrenaline in her system once masked erupted all over her body. Her neck was mildly sore from when Superboy had once choked her, wrists throbbing from the restraints of the pods, and body overall just sore and achy from the previous battle.

Her bed was looking _real_ good right about now.

But they had other things to deal with.

Superboy had walked away from the small group of celebrating heroes, blue eyes focused on the unconscious form of Desmond, who was trapped beneath a large chunk of roof. Nightfall felt an urge to comfort the boy, but she quickly quelled it and looked away.

Her feelings regarding the clone were still mixed, and she didn't exactly trust him.

"See," Kid Flash called out and Superboy turned to look at him as the speedster jutted his thumb upwards, "The moon!"

The group looked upwards, and as Nightfall stared into the full moon, she felt an overwhelming sense of peace. It washed over her and she closed her eyes, but when she opened them again, shadows began to appear in the distance and as one took the form of Superman, the semblance of peace she once felt was shattered.

"Oh, and Superman!" Kid Flash chirped, ignorant of the panic that spread through Nightfall's body, "Do we keep our promises or _what_?"

Whereas the speedster may have been happy, Nightfall now felt a deep sense of dread fill every fiber of her being. Where there was a Superman, there was a Justice League.

And sure enough, one by one, they began to appear.

Behind Superman appeared Martian Manhunter, Zatara, Captain Marvel and Red Tornado, while other Justice Leaguer's such as Captain Atom, Hawkman, Hawkwoman, Wonder Woman and the Green Lantern's landed behind the small group of heroes.

Shadow Hunter floated into view, and Nightfall shifted her position so she was slightly hidden behind Aqualad as the blue bubble Shadow Hunter created dissipated and revealed the flightless superheroes: Batman, Green Arrow, Black Canary, Aquaman.

And Nighttide.

Visible anger radiated off of Nightfall's father and she did her best to ignore his gaze, eyes downcast. The feeling of fight had long left her body, and now she just felt tired.

Batman approached Superman as Flash zipped to a stop behind the Dark Knight, and Superboy stepped forward. Nightfall watched as the clone approached the Boy Scout with determination, and when he was a few feet away, he lifted the hanging cloth of his solar suit, revealing the 'S' shield.

A mixture of emotions flickered across Superman's face, and Superboy looked hopeful for a moment. When the older Kryptonian's face hardened, the clone looked dejected as he scowled.

"Is that what I think it is?" Batman inquired, voice stable.

Kid Flash stepped forward and held a hand to his mouth, waning in a mock whisper, "He doesn't like being called an _it_."

"I'm Superman's clone!" Superboy announced, and waves of concern spread throughout the Justice League as they shared conflicted looks.

Batman narrowed his gaze and demanded, "Start talking."

Nervous looks were shared through the small group of teen heroes before Robin stepped forward, beginning the harrowing tale of how they got to where they were. Each person took turns reciting a part of the story, but Nightfall chose to stay in the back, staying quiet at the same time as their adventure was relayed.

And as the tale continued to be told, fresh memories from the night danced across her vision.

Aqualad closed out the story, stepping forward in the process and Nightfall realized her cover was blown. Nighttide's gaze immediately snapped towards his daughter, but she refused to meet his eyes as she dug her foot into the dirt.

After the story had been concluded, Batman ordered the removal of Desmond, and Nightfall caught word of something about Belle Reve as the Green Lantern's pulled the creature from the rubble. They took to the skies, the Hawks going with them for extra aide if need be.

The main group of Leaguer's, consisting of Nighttide and Shadow Hunter, stood off to the side as they talked amongst themselves, Guardian included who was relaying his side of the story as well. Nightfall could tell it was taking everything within her father to _not_ march over to her and scold her or scream at her or whatever he had planned, and the girl was thankful for that fact.

She knew she'd have to face him eventually- they did _live_ together- but any delay in a confrontation with him was a good delay.

"Hey," Robin walked over to the girl, Kid Flash and Nightlight at his side, "You did good tonight, don't sweat it."

"Yeah, babe, you _rocked_!" The speedster tacked on.

While Nightfall appreciated the sentiment, it was hard for her to accept the compliments in the face of perpetual doom from her father, "Thanks, guys, but tell that to my dad." She jutted her head in his direction, and Nighttide kept stealing glances their way.

Nightlight glanced at her own father, who also looked less than pleased, before facing the young waterbender before her, "This wasn't your idea," She gave a pointed glare Robin's way, "and we shouldn't have dragged you along, but Robin _is_ right, you did good." She offered Nightfall a friendly smile, and the girl hesitantly returned it.

"Psh. When am I _not_ right?" Robin cackled, and a genuine smile appeared on Nightfall's face as she laughed, some dread leaving her system.

"Honestly," Nightfall rubbed her arm, smile disappearing as she chewed her lip, "if you guys _had_ left me behind, I probably would've followed you anyways…" Kid Flash chuckled as Nightlight rolled her eyes, "Besides, my only regret tonight is that now I may never be a _true_ hero…"

"You will always be a hero, Nightfall," Aqualad told the girl with a smile, setting a calming hand on her shoulder as he stepped up with Superboy, "We appreciate your help here immensely."

Nightfall shook her head, "I don't think I did much, but thanks, Aqualad. This has been one of the best missions I've been on."

"Tonight was pretty fun, wasn't it?" Kid Flash grinned and crossed his arms.

" _Fun_ wouldn't be the word I'd use to describe tonight," Nightlight corrected with a light grin, "but it did beat hanging out at the Hall of Justice for the night."

"And Miss 'stickler for the rules' admits this was a good idea!" Robin cackled, ducking as Nightlight tried to punch his shoulder. She settled for crossing her arms and fixing the boy with a glare as he ducked behind his best friend.

Robin suddenly straightened out and Nightfall glanced over to see Superman approaching the small group. He looked hesitant and unsure, gaze flickering from Superboy to the others, "We'll, uh… we'll figure out _something_ for you. T-the League will, I-I mean," It was obvious the Man of Steel was uncomfortable and a scowl settled on Superboy's lips, "For now, I'd better make sure they get that Blockbuster creature squared away…" He nodded his head and gestured to the sky before taking off, disappearing into the night.

Aqualad placed a hand on Superboy's shoulder, who was still staring at the sky. The clone brushed the hand off, arms still crossed as he turned to glare at the ground.

"Cadmus will be investigated," Nightfall turned around as Batman approached the group, flanked by Flash, Nighttide, Aquaman, and Shadow Hunter, "all fifty-two levels, but let's make one thing _clear-_ "

"You should have called!" Flash interrupted.

Batman flashed the Flash an unamused look before focusing his harsh gaze on the young proteges before him, "End results aside, we are _not_ happy." Nightfall resisted the urge to mutter 'no shit' as she finally met her father's gaze. His brown eyes narrowed even more, and the younger waterbender flinched slightly and redirected her gaze to the floor as Batman continued his scolding, "You hacked Justice League systems, disobeyed _direct_ orders, and _endangered_ lives. You will _not_ be doing this again."

There was a brief pause, and Nightfall felt the mood shift as the small group of teen heroes shared looks amongst themselves. Though words had yet to be voiced, they seem to come to a general consensus as each one stood tall, "I am sorry, but we _will_."

Aqualad was the first to speak up, and shock spread through the few Leaguer's present at the bold tone of the young Atlantean's voice. Nightfall felt a new wave of hope wash over her as she glanced up, this time making full eye contact with her father and not wavering slightly.

"Aqualad, stand _down_." Aquaman attempted to order his protégé.

Aqualad put his hand over his heart, head dipping down slightly as he apologized, "Apologies my King, but _no_. We did good work here tonight! The work _you_ trained us to do. Together, on our own, we _forged_ something powerful, _important_." As he spoke his strong words, the Atlantean glanced over at each of his new found friends, gaze lingering slightly on Nightfall before he returned his gaze to the League.

Flash spoke up, "If this is about your treatment at the hall, the four of you-"

"The _six_ of us," Kid Flash quickly corrected his mentor, stepping up besides Aqualad, "and it's _not_."

"Nightlight?" Shadow Hunter voiced softly, shock evident on his face as he looked to his daughter.

Nightlight was silent for a moment before she nodded her head, finally speaking up, "This goes _beyond_ our treatment at the Hall. We've proven time and time again that we're _ready_ , ready for something more. When are you guys going to see that?"

"Batman," Robin stepped forward, addressing his mentor, "we're ready to use what you taught us. Or why teach us at all?" His voice broke near the end of his statement, and Nightfall placed a hand on his shoulder, finding her own courage to speak as her father's glare darkened.

"We're tired of being looked down upon, tired of being viewed as inferior. Why can't you guys give us a chance?"

"Why let them tell us what to do?" Superboy sneered, "It's simple: get on board or _get out of the way_."

Superboy's statement brought silence down upon the League, as they shared warry looks between each other. Nightfall stood firm beside her new found friends, their confidence rubbing off on herself.

Finally, after what felt like forever, Batman spoke up, his words shocking the group, "Give me _three_ days."

Nightfall shared a look with Nightlight and Kid Flash shrugged, "Three days isn't so long?"

"Uh, guys?" Robin voiced, glancing back at Superboy, "What about him?"

"What about me?" The clone frowned.

"I think he means where are you going to stay." Nightlight supplied.

"Oh."

Nightfall crossed her arms and shook her head, "I'm in enough trouble with my dad, I don't think taking a random clone home would help my situation…" Superboy scowled at the waterbender and she realized her statement may have been insensitive, but it didn't much matter to her right now.

Kid Flash beamed as he turned on the clone, "Guess that means you're coming home with me, Supey!"

"Okay," Superboy shrugged.

" _Nightfall_."

 _May my death be swift…_

Nightfall turned around at the call of her name, facing her father, who still looked particularly ticked. She paled slightly and her mouth suddenly felt dry, "H-hi dad."

"Let's go, _now_."

Nighttide's voice screamed no nonsense and Nightfall complied with him. She turned around, muttering a sad goodbye to her new friends as her father waited impatiently behind her.

"See you in three days?" Robin asked optimistically, voice soft.

Nightfall met his gaze, a sad look in her blue eyes as she replied, "I hope."

* * *

 **MOUNT JUSTICE**

Three days later, the small group of teen heroes had been reunited.

Batman paced before the teens, who were dressed in their civvies as they stood within the mountain. Various members of the Justice League were bustling about, moving equipment and doing final checks while Batman, Aquaman, Black Canary, Red Tornado, Shadow Hunter, and Captain Marvel stood before them.

"This cave was the _original_ secret sanctuary of the Justice League," Batman started his spiel, "We're calling it into service again. Since you _five_ are determined to stay together and fight the good fight, you'll do it on _League_ terms. Red Tornado has volunteered to live here and be your supervisor. Black Canary is in charge of training. _I_ will deploy you on missions."

" _Real_ missions?" Robin urged.

"Yes, but covert."

The Flash spoke up from his place beside Kid Flash, a smile on his face, "The League will still handle the _obvious_ stuff," He poked his chest, right on the lightning symbol, "There's a _reason_ we have these big targets on our chest!"

"But Cadmus proves the bad guys are getting smarter," Aquaman continued.

Shadow Hunter picked up where his fellow Leaguer left off, a small smile aimed at his daughter, "Batman needs a team that can operate on the sly."

"The _six_ of you will be that team." Batman concluded.

"Cool!" Robin beamed before doing a bit of mental math in his head, "Wait. _Six_?"

Excitement bubbled up within the teen and he shared a look with Nightlight. When they had all arrived at Mount Justice this morning, Robin had been initially disappointed to see a lack of Nightfall, and he wasn't the only one either.

Kid Flash had asked about her whereabouts, but Batman just delved into his speech.

So this sixth member _had_ to be Nightfall, _right_?

Batman glanced over the teen's heads, prompting them to excitedly turn around. However, instead of seeing the familiar face of Nightfall walking towards them, they were greeted with Martian Manhunter and a younger, green girl.

Robin's face fell slightly as Batman explained the girl was Martian Manhunter's niece, Miss Martian. The other's seemed a bit down as well as the young Martian shyly waved at them, but despite the lack of Nightfall, any new member was a good thing.

Kid Flash glanced at Nightlight before sharing a look with Robin, a smirk appearing on his face, "Liking this gig more every minute." He stepped forward, making himself center stage as he greeted the girl, "Welcome aboard! I'm Kid Flash. That's Robin, Aqualad and Nightlight. It's cool if you forget their names."

"I'm honored to be included!" Miss Martian beamed and clasped her hands together.

Aqualad, Robin, Kid Flash and Nightlight walked towards the girl, Nightlight shoving the speedster to the side in playful annoyance before floating towards Miss Martian. Robin glanced back, noting how Superboy hadn't moved before calling out, "Hey Superboy! Come meet Miss M!"

The clone looked up, hesitating for a second before approaching the group. Miss Martian smiled shyly at him, her cape disappearing as her white shirt shifted to black, "I like your t-shirt."

Superboy glanced at her shirt before up at her, a soft smile forming on his face. Robin playfully elbowed the clone, and Kid Flash zipped over to toss an arm around his shoulder. Nightlight just smiled fondly as Aqualad spoke.

" _Today_ is the day."

Batman approached the group, "Superboy, most of us will be leaving. You are _not_ to go anywhere. Just sit tight until Red Tornado returns."

Martian Manhunter began to speak to his niece about leaving as well, but Robin tuned it out as he faced his mentor, "What's the sitch, Batman?"

"We're needed back in Gotham."

Nightlight watched the two walk away before facing her father, who had approached, "We should be headed back to San Francisco, Nightlight."

She nodded her head in agreeance, but paused for a moment, "Before we go," Nightlight started, pausing for a moment as she looked between Shadow Hunter and Batman, "can you tell us why Nightfall isn't here?"

At the mention of the girl's name, the attention of Robin, Kid Flash, and Aqualad was caught. The Boy Wonder cocked his head to the side, eyeing his mentor expectantly as the other two young heroes tuned into the conversation as well.

Shadow Hunter opened his mouth but quickly closed it, sharing a look with Batman. The Dark Knight sighed before answering, "Nightfall was not given the proper permission to join the team."

Robin frowned, "Will she _ever_ be joining?"

"It's at Nighttide's discretion as to whether or not she will be joining."

Kid Flash glanced down as Nightlight rubbed her arm. Maybe had they not allowed the girl to come along, she could've joined the team upon its formation, but none of them had the foresight to actually _know_ that their adventure to Cadmus would lead to a team formation.

It was just unfortunate Nightfall couldn't join them.

Because now they weren't sure when they'd see their new friend again.

* * *

 **A/N: Hey guys! Not so happy with the ending there tbh, but I just wanted to show that no, Nightfall does _not_ join the team right away! Nighttide is far from pleased with his daughter and her escapades with her new friends. I wanted to show their fight and the discussion that lead to her _not_ joining the team, but that made the chapter super extra long so I'm going to add it to the next chapter! Because I have a few chapters to go until Nightfall _does_ join the team... **

* * *

**Reviews (to those who were _actually_ decent human beans!):**

 **jdkeller2000:** Next chapter! Thanks for the review!

 **Faby0411:** Thank you so much for your kind words! Yeah, here on out will ignore any and all flames. Sorry about tossing in Nightlight like that! I know the character pretty well so just throwing her in like that was my bad. I tried to mention her in the first chapter, and hopefully you guys will get to know her more as the story progresses! Nightfall is still the main character but I will try to show off Nightlight more as well! My friend did such an amazing job creating and developing this OC. If you ever have any pressing questions about her and you're confused, just ask away! I'll either answer you here or answer in the story somewhere! Thank you again! 33

 **Aria:** Thank you much!

 **Person002:** Thank you! I tried to make things a bit more realistic and create a start to an OC we don't really see! Spoiler alert but Aqualad will still be the team's leader! lol Nightlight is more so 'mama light' and would probably make a good co-leader alongside Aqualad, but Nightlight's creator feels she's a bit too young (she's actually 14) to be a leader. And I hope to reveal more about her as the story progresses! Like I told an above reviewer, if you ever have any questions about her or are confused about her in general, ask away and I will answer!

I may go back to Strike at some point, but idk... just kind of lost that inspiration... ^^;

 **PrettyKitty Luvs U:** Ahhhh thank you so much, bae! I love reading your reviews! They make me so happy~ All the ships will appear, my dude! :D

Uh, who's fic? o: The dream scene was actually going to be part of a one-shot I started writing but then forgot about xD I stumbled across it again and added that bit to the beginning of this fic!

 **Rude Guests:** Ya'll have a problem if you think being rude and mean to someone solely over a _fanfiction_ is a-okay. Get over yourselves please and lighten up. We're all DC fancs here.

* * *

 **Thank you all so much for your amazing reviews! I really appreciate them and they definitely keep me going. You are all the best! .3.**

 **-SnowWolf22**

 **P.s. Remember: Nightlight is NOT MINE. She's a wonderful OC who belongs to my good friend xdarkhikarix on deviantART! Check out her stuff!**


	4. Steam

**Young Justice is not mine.**

* * *

 **Steam**

" _You don't extinguish fire by adding more fire, you need water."_

\- Shenouda III

* * *

 **GOTHAM CITY**

Kayanna's feet thudded against the ground as she jogged across the sidewalk. Her heart hammered in her chest, breaths coming in short and she slowed to a halt. A shaky hand was run through her messy brown locks and she sucked in a deep breath.

The blazing sun sat high in the sky, basking the earth below in waves of heat and light. Sweat trickled down Kayanna's brow, her cheeks a light shade of red as a result of the heat and exercise. She took a swig from her water bottle, welcoming the refreshing liquid as a wave of cool washed over her.

Jogging wasn't normally Kayanna's thing. In fact, it was actually rather far from it, but she needed an outlet to vent her frustrations and clear her mind, and dance just wasn't cutting it for her right now.

So that's how she found herself at a smaller park about a mile from her house.

After the events at Cadmus, Kayanna was placed on an even _shorter_ leash than the one she was on before. Granted it was her fault, she could've said no to going with the others.

But she had _no_ regrets.

' _I guess you're_ not _ready.'_

Her father's voice echoed in her head and Kayanna squeezed her eyes shut, willing his voice to disappear. It had been plaguing her throughout her whole jog, taunting her and reminding her of her shortcomings. Their relationship had been rather rocky ever since the Cadmus incident, and though she got to keep her mantle of Nightfall, she had been avoiding going into the field with her father.

Kayanna doubled over, placing her hands on her knees as she sucked in a deep breath. Her thoughts ran rampant, mind racing a mile a minute as memories swirled in her head.

* * *

 _Koda paced back and forth, chest heaving with anger. He was still wearing his Nighttide suit, but his mask had been ripped off the moment he set foot in their house. It now lay onto of the dining room table._

 _Kayanna sat on the couch, eyes glued to the floor as her mom cleaned a gash on her bicep. She grimaced slightly as an antiseptic was rubbed over the wound, but said nothing. Elizabeth kept glanced between her husband and her daughter, waiting for the tension to erupt in a tumultuous end._

" _I just-" Koda fumbled for his words and paused as he focused his angry gaze on Kayanna, "What were you_ thinking _?" His hands were positioned in front of himself, and he kept clenching and unclenching his fists. The older waterbender's voice was sharp as he carried on, "I trusted you to_ stay put _. To listen to my orders for_ once _, Kayanna! And_ what _do you do? You disobeyed not only_ my _direct orders, but the_ League's _direct orders as well!"_

 _Kayanna sucked in a breath and closed her eyes, holding back any and all tears that were threatening to fall. She knew a confrontation with her father was inevitable and had tried to mentally prepare herself for the ensuing argument. In her mind she could come up with comebacks and quips to her father's arguing points, as well as ways to defend herself, and she had even talked herself up on the way back to their house, but as soon as she had walked through the door and saw her mother, she deflated._

 _Any and all fight in her she had managed to build up on their trek home had melted away as she threw herself into her mother's arms._

" _Do you have_ anything _to say for yourself?"_ _Koda asked rather impatiently. Under normal circumstances Kayanna was rather stubborn and argumentative, but she was instead just sat on the couch, awfully silent as Elizabeth wrapped her bicep in gauze and bandages._

 _Kayanna shook her head as a tear streaked down her cheek, still refusing to meet her father's gaze, "I-I'm sorry." It was true, she_ was _sorry, but probably not in the way her father wanted her to be. She was sorry for all the worry she caused him and she knew the anger he was expressing now was out of concern for her life._

" _Sorry doesn't cut it, Kayanna." Koda's brown eyes narrowed and he crossed his arms, "Not only did you disobey orders, but you endangered your_ life _and blew up a_ building _!"_

 _Even though Koda wasn't particularly fond of Batman, he sounded an_ awful _lot like him, Kayanna silently noted._

" _To be fair, that was Robin's idea…" Kayanna quipped lightly, voice cracking slightly at the end. She wasn't sure what compelled her to say that, as it most certainly wouldn't help her position, but it had just come out._

 _Koda's eye twitched, "I don't care whose idea it was._ You _still played a part in it." He pinched the bridge of his nose, taking a deep breath in an effort to calm himself. It didn't quite work and he opened his eyes. However, when he spoke again, his voice was softer, "For the time being I'm benching you. No more Nightfall."_

 _For the first time since they had arrived home, Kayanna's head snapped up as she focused her blue gaze on her father. A million thoughts ran through her head as her heart fluttered. She choked back a sob as she replied, "Okay."_

 _Not only did her response shock herself, but it shocked her father as well. The younger waterbender missed the surprised look that fluttered across her father's face before he quickly composed himself as she returned her gaze to the floor._

" _Okay?" Koda repeated what she said, voice gradually increasing in volume, "_ Okay _? Is that_ all _you have to say for yourself? You've fought me tooth and nail to be a hero, but now you're just going to give it up, just like that? I guess you're not ready."_

 _Kayanna whirled on her father, more tears streaking down her cheeks as she erupted, "What do you_ want _from me?!" Although the fight inside her was gone, she_ had _felt as if her father would've gone easier on her had she_ not _fought back, "I fight back, you yell at me. I don't fight back, you yell at me!"_

" _I'm just trying to get you to realize the_ severity _of your actions."_

" _I understand, really I do!" Kayanna retaliated, fingers pressing painfully into her biceps, "but if you're trying to make me_ regret _what I did-_ we _did- then you've got another thing coming, because I_ don't _."_ _She ran a shaky hair through her messy brown locks, meeting her father's harsh gaze, "If you're going to take Nightfall, then fine. I-I can't stop you, but just remember the_ good _we did tonight."_

 _Koda's angry expression melted into a look Kayanna couldn't read as he masked his feelings. She wasn't sure if what she said was going to set him off more or not, but she had managed to say a bit of what she originally intended to, so it was a small victory for herself._

 _The older waterbender stared down at his daughter, a blank look on his face as she turned away from him once more. It wasn't that he_ liked _being harsh on Kayanna, but she had really worried him that night. The League had returned after successfully defeating Wotan and returning the Amulet of Aten to its rightful owners to an_ empty _Hall of Justice and panic had immediately filled every fiber of his being until that panic had melted into anger._

 _And it continued to boil and boil until he erupted._

 _Furthermore, the anger wasn't entirely aimed at Kayanna herself. Most of the anger was aimed at_ himself _. Had something seriously bad happened to her while she was gone, he would've blamed himself and never been able to forgive himself. He had allowed her into the superhero life after all._

" _Koda," Elizabeth called out to her husband as she finished packing up the first aid kit. He glanced over at his wife, who had stood up and was now approaching him. She placed a hand on his shoulder and the soft look in her eyes helped to rescind some of his anger._

 _Now, Elizabeth would be lying if she said she wasn't irked at Kayanna as well- she very much was- but she also knew yelling and arguing wasn't going to solve everything. Ever the peacemaker in the house, the woman gently suggested, "It's late. Why don't we all go to bed and we can talk in the morning?"_

 _Koda looked ready to argue some more as he glanced between his wife and daughter, but at Elizabeth's quirked brow- silently challenging him- he sighed and relented, "Go to your room, Kayanna. We can discuss this more tomorrow."_

 _Kayanna nodded her head before quickly standing up and scurrying out of the living room. She dipped down as she passed a lazy-boy, scooping up her cat, Angler, before making her way towards the stairs. She nuzzled her face into her cat's soft fur as he began to softly purr, the sound soothing her aching heart._

* * *

"Hey, are you alright?"

The memory faded and Kayanna blinked, righting herself to stand up straight. She turned towards the source of the voice. A teenager about her age stood beside her, emerald eyes filled with concern as he took his hand off her shoulder.

"Y-yeah," The young waterbender shook her head, cracking a half-assed smile, "I'm fine."

The boy didn't look too sure and Kayanna took a moment to look him over. He was on the taller side of things and rather lithe as well, with dark brown hair cropped short on the sides and slightly long and messy on the top. His green eyes were his most distinguishing feature, bright and full of life as he stared at the girl in front of him.

"Are you sure?"

Kayanna brushed the boy off with a wave of her hand, "Just needed a breather," She lied swiftly, "Thanks for the concern, uh…"

"Jayce," The boy- Jayce- chimed in helpfully, a cute lopsided smile appearing on his face.

She nodded and smiled, "It was nice to meet you, Jayce." Kayanna bounced on her feet slightly, preparing to jog off once more, "Have a good day!"

Jayce watched as she turned to take off, repeating her sentiment before realizing, "Wait, I never got your name!"

"It's Kayanna!"

* * *

 **SANDERS HOUSEHOLD**

"Kyle, give it back!"

Kayanna jumped up, struggling to reach the remote her older brother was holding high over her head. He may have only been two years older, but the height difference between the two was great. It was _incredibly_ easy for him to keep things out of her reach.

" _No_ ," He grinned and lifted the remote higher as Kayanna made another grab at the remote, "If I have to watch _one_ more episode of Supernatural, I am going to _scream_."

"Oh you're so _melodramatic._ " She groaned with an eye roll, propping her hands on her hips, "It's a _good_ show!"

" _You_ just watch if for _Jensen Ackles_."

"I see no problem with this."

Kyle laughed and dropped onto the couch, pushing his sister to the side as she made another swipe at the remote. Kayanna pouted and gave him her best puppy dog eyes, but he just rolled his eyes and ignored her. The remote was pointed at the TV, and the image of a bickering Sam and Dean was whisked away as the channel was changed.

Sports flashed across the screen, a faraway crowd cheering as some team scored, and Kayanna flopped onto the couch next to her brother. She gave out an exasperated groan, which was stifled immediately as Kyle covered her mouth with his hand.

" _Shhhh._ "

A glass of water sat on the table, ice floating lazily in the cool liquid as condensation rolled down the side. Kayanna side-eyed her brother, gaze flickering between him and the water glass as a plan boiled in her head.

" _Ack_! Kayanna!" Kyle cried out, pulling his hand away from his sister's mouth, "Did you just _lick_ me?!"

Instead of gracing her brother with a response, Kayanna flicked her hand, the water from the glass on the table rising into the air. It curled into a tendril and she snapped her hand towards Kyle. The water did her bidding, and as Kyle was distracted with wiping his hand off, the water curled around the remote in his opposite hand. When Kayanna flicked her wrist, the remote was ripped from Kyle's hand and she caught it with ease before returning the water to the glass.

Kyle jolted and whirled on his sister upon the realization he no longer had the remote. She turned away from him with a victory laugh, flopping onto her side and using her feet to keep her brother at bay.

"Kayanna! That's _cheating_!"

The channel changed once more as she pressed the back button, Supernatural returning to the screen just in time for Dean to be violently thrown into a wall. Kayanna extended her arm away from Kyle, who was fighting with her feet as she wiggled them back and forth.

"I swear to-" Kayanna suddenly screeched as Kyle snagged one of her feet, his fingers dancing across the base of her foot. She tried to pull away and he held on tighter, continuing to tickle her feet as she thrashed.

"Kyle!" She managed to squeal out between laughs, "S-stop it!"

"Then give me the remote back!"

"Never!"

"What's going on here?" An amused voice sounded and Kayanna glanced back, watching as her dad stepped into the room and she immediately sobered up.

Kyle glanced up, a smile on his face, arm still firmly gripping his sister's leg, "Kayanna stole the remote from me." He ran his fingers up her foot once more, but instead of eliciting a laugh from her, she fought harder to pull away.

"Kyle, _stop_." He didn't listen, continuing his tickle attack on her foot as their father watched with a soft smile. She pulled harder, voice low, "I said _stop_."

This time Kyle actually let go of her foot, and Kayanna found herself suddenly on the floor. She shook her head, remote clasped tightly in her hand before she climbed to her feet. Kyle looked up at her and annoyance flashed across her eyes.

"Here's your _stupid_ remote," She muttered, tossing said device at her brother.

Kyle sat up straighter and Kayanna walked around the couch towards the stairs. Koda watched as she climbed the stairs, flashing him a look that told him she was still _pissed_ at him before she disappeared upstairs.

Koda sighed.

* * *

"You can't be mad at him _forever_ , Kayanna."

Kayanna muttered something in response, Barbara not catching it because her friend's face was currently buried in a pillow. She reached back and pushed her shoulder, and Kayanna turned her face, "What?"

"You'll find _I'm_ a better conversationalist than that pillow you're mumbling into."

Kayanna rolled her eyes before shifting into a sitting position. She smacked Barbara with the pillow before placing it in her lap, "I don't need your sass."

The ginger laughed, "You love my sass."

That was true, Kayanna couldn't deny it. Barbara was her best friend and the girl knew how to cheer her up and make her smile. No matter what kind of mood Kayanna was in, Barbara could always fix it. Her laughter mixed with her friends.

"But I'm for real, Kayanna," Barbara stopped laughing and fixed her friend with a gentle look, "He's your father, he's just looking out for you."

She groaned, "I don't need to hear this from you too, Babs."

"Look, I get where you're coming from. My dad's pretty protective as well, but I'm also not a superhero."

Yeah, Barbara knew Nighttide and Nightfall's secret IDs, but hey, she was Kayanna's best friend. Had been since they both started at Gotham Academy when they were in 7th grade. The brunette had actually showed Barbara her powers about a year before she had finally managed to convince her father to take her on as his protégé.

She had also told Barbara about the adventure she went on with the other protégés to Cadmus. Granted she left out a few details here and there, giving her friend only the basic gist of what all went down on the fourth.

"Koda's going to be _way_ more protective since you're putting your life on the line," Barbara carried on, "I'd probably be pretty ticked at you as well if you were my kid who went on some grand ol' adventure with other sidekicks-"

" _Partners._ They don't like being called sidekicks."

The ginger rolled her eyes, "Sorry, _partners._ Anyways, like I was saying, in your father's defense, I'd be pretty mad too."

"Don't tell me you would've stayed behind!"

"Oh no, I for _sure_ would've done what you did, you've just got to look at it from his point of view. He thought he left his daughter somewhere safe and when he returned for her, she was gone without a trace. That's like a parent's worst _nightmare_."

Kayanna picked at her fingernail and chewed her lower lip, pondering Barbara's words. She understood where her father- and Barbara- were coming from, but it didn't mean she had to like it. Kayanna was just sick of being treated like a child…

But if she kept acting like one nothing would change.

She sighed, "Yeah, I guess you're right."

"I'm sorry. I didn't hear you. What'd you say?"

Kayanna sat up, a laugh on her lips as she chucked the pillow at Barbara, who did her best to avoid the fluffy projectile, "I said _you're right_. Don't make me regret it."

The ginger giggled and collected the pillow, clutching it to her own chest, "Just give your dad some time, he'll come around. And in the meantime, _don't_ be a brat!"

"Me? A _brat_?" Kayanna feigned hurt, placing a hand over her heart and Barbara rolled her eyes.

"You heard me."

"Your words wound me."

* * *

 **BATCAVE**

Dick's fingers clacked softly against the keyboard, mask-less eyes honing in on the file pulled up on screen. It was of Nighttide, with a recent update to the file adding in Nightfall as well. He clicked on the girl's name, and immediately the screen was filled with her and her information.

 **Secret ID:** Kayanna Sanders.

Dick knew that much already. As the protégé of Batman, he knew the _entire_ League's secret ID's, Nighttide's included. It was Koda Sanders. Dick had actually known this fact for _years_ seeing as Nighttide was one of the founding members of the Justice League, fighting alongside the other seven against the Appellaxians.

The troll within him also found it amusing that Kayanna Sanders was friends with Dick Grayson- the girl not knowing he was Robin- and that he had been over to their house a few times.

Koda was _not_ amused the first time Dick showed up at their house.

So when Nighttide showed up in the park on the Fourth of July with Nightfall in tow, it wasn't hard to deduce that she was his daughter. They shared a lot of physical attributes after all. Dick, however, was surprised to see Kayanna decked out in hero garb.

He hadn't known she was following in her father's footsteps of becoming a hero.

Dick scrolled through the file some more.

 **Age:** 14.

 **Occupation:** Student.

 **Powers:** Hydrokinesis.

 **Threat Level:** Minimal.

Dick hated Batman's paranoia sometimes. He knew his mentor had contingency plans for all of the League members, and he prayed Batman didn't have any for the members of the team. The hacker didn't have the stomach to find out.

 **Status:** Active since April 2010.

Doing the mental math in his head, Dick came to the conclusion she had only been in the hero game for just about four months. That still didn't really explain why he hadn't heard anything about her. Batman knew everything, which therefore meant Dick knew everything as well.

Granted the Watchtower was kept secret from him…

"If you had any questions about her, you could've just asked."

Dick's eyes widened at the sudden intrusion and he panicked, frantically trying to close the file. With a quick click the file disappeared, the screen going dark as the hacker whirled around. An amused Bruce Wayne stood a few feet behind him, arms crossed and eyebrow quirked.

He was still donned in his Batman gear, but his cowl hung loosely around his neck, face revealed. Dick glanced at the screen behind him once more to ensure the file was _really_ gone before facing his mentor once more.

"I-I was just bored and decided to scroll through some files…"

Bruce met his ward's eye, "Bored, huh? We can spar some more if you'd like."

Dick shot up out of the chair, speed rivaling that of a speedster's as he ran a hair through his messy, dark locks, "I think I'm going to call it a night," He hastily spat out, already working on removing his cape and utility belt.

It was about three o'clock in the morning and if Dick was honest with himself, he was feeling pretty beat from both patrol _and_ their last training session only a few hours before they went out. Seeing as school hadn't started up for him yet, Bruce didn't mind letting his young protégé stay out later than normal.

Bruce chuckled and Dick placed his cape on a nearby table for Alfred to clean and his utility belt beside it to be restocked. He'd change the rest of the way up in his room. Alfred hated it when he did that, but Dick just wanted to get up to his room.

"Goodnight, Dick." The Dark Knight called out.

"Night, Bruce."

Dick turned and began to make his way to head into the manor, but paused for a second as the Batcomputer whirred to life once more, Bruce digging into some research they were doing regarding a chain of murders. He toyed with his next words in his head for a few seconds, before opening his mouth to speak.

"Why didn't you tell me she had become a hero?"

"Who?" Bruce's response was quick and Dick rolled his eyes. He knew very well who the hacker was asking about, but he was just toying with him.

"Kayanna."

Bruce turned in his seat to gaze back at his protégé, "Did you need to know?"

"Not really I guess, but she's my friend and-"

"Don't worry about her, Dick. Koda and I may not see eye to eye, but I know he'll keep her safe at all costs." Bruce tried to soothe the young hacker.

Dick nodded, "I know but… I didn't even know she had powers. It makes sense but-"

Truth be told, Dick hated the fact Kayanna had managed to keep all of this from him. It may have been a bit hypocritical of him- especially since she didn't know _he_ was Robin- but he didn't like _not_ knowing. He was a detective! The hacker prided himself on knowing things like this.

"She doesn't know you're Robin," Bruce pointed out, "and she's entitled to her secrets." The Dark Knight turned in his seat, facing the Batcomputer once more and Dick took that as a sign the conversation was over.

He turned tail and exited the Batcave. When he reached the top of the stairs, he ran into Alfred. The elderly butler was caring a polished silver tray, a cup of coffee and a glass of milk sitting atop it. He greeted Dick, extending the tray his way and the hacker gladly accepted the glass of milk.

They bid each other goodnight before heading off in different directions; Dick making his way upstairs while Alfred disappeared into the basement. He downed his glass of milk as he entered his room, placing it on his side table before flopping on his bed. Dick stared up at the ceiling, mindlessly watching his ceiling fan spin in circles.

After a few bored moments with which he didn't fall asleep, Dick reached over and grabbed his cellphone, quickly unlocking it and opening his messages.

Maybe Kayanna was still up.

* * *

 **BROOKLYN**

Nightfall sat on the roof of a building, legs dangling over the edge. Nighttide had disappeared into a posh store across the street after hearing the alarm going off, leaving his daughter to her own accords.

Well, the waterbender was supposed to be 'observing and learning' or something like that.

Instead she was playing _Plants vs. Zombies_.

It was one of those new addictive iPhone apps her father detested so much, but it was a good time killer. Nightfall tried to 'observe and learn' like her father told her to- despite being a bit peeved at him still, she really _did_ want to prove she could do this- but seeing as she was stuck on a rooftop _across_ from the building Nighttide was _in_ , she couldn't see shit.

And watching _nothing_ happen grew old rather quickly.

Besides, she hadn't even _wanted_ to come out with him tonight. This was the first time she had donned her Nightfall garb since the Cadmus incident. When her father had asked her to join him on patrol, she had swiftly turned him down, but with a push from her mother she relented.

Barbara was probably right… she couldn't be mad at him forever.

Nightfall blinked as her phone suddenly vibrated, the message alert startling her slightly. She was expecting a message from anyone, especially since it was like three in the morning. Nightfall paused her game to open her messages, staring at the sender's name for a few seconds.

It was Dick.

 **Grayson:** _Good morning, Kayanna!_

The waterbender stared down at the message, unsure of how to respond. She knew Dick was a night owl, but she didn't think he was _this_ much of one. Why was he even up this late?

Then again... why was _she_ up this late?

…

Right, she wanted to be a superhero.

 **Sanders:** _It's like three in the morning. What are you doing up?_

Dick's response was almost immediate.

 **Grayson:** _What are you doing up?_

Oh, he had her there.

 **Sanders:** _Touché._

She sent the message. There was a pause as she stared at her phone before swiping her fingers across the keyboard and typing another message.

 **Sanders:** _Couldn't sleep._

Nightfall set her phone down, gaze flickering across the street to the building her father had disappeared in. It was still pretty silent and a part of her wanted to radio Nighttide to ask him what exactly was going on, but he had told her not to unless it was an emergency. He'd contact her when he was on his way out.

The waterbender sighed, kicking her feet against the brick roof. There was a rustle in the alley beside her, metal clanking together and Nightfall startled. She glanced at the building once more before standing up and cautiously making her way towards the edge, heart rate picking up.

Peering over she did her best to stay concealed, blue eyes taking in the alley below. Two large dumpsters were lined up against a far wall, piles of trash and other rubbish piled up beneath it. Litter was scattered all around the alley, but Nightfall didn't see anyone.

A small, metallic trashcan rustled before it tipped over, the noise startling Nightfall. Her eyes flickered to it and she watched, slightly amused, as a raccoon- front paws holding a moldy banana- scampered out of the mess it created. It chirred quietly before taking a bite of its prize and the waterbender watched it disappear down the alley and around the corner.

Nightfall leaned back and ran a hand through her hair, heart rate slowing slightly. She honestly wasn't sure what she was expecting when she went to check the alley out, but a raccoon was a better than a person she supposed.

Her phone vibrated.

 **Grayson:** _Same :P_

Nightfall rolled her eyes and locked her phone. She turned her head and glanced up at the sky, taking in what little of the stars and moon she could see. The light pollution in Brooklyn prevented a good portion of the stars from being seen, but the glistening city on the skyline was still pretty.

Her phone went off once more.

 **Grayson:** _Soooooo…_

 **Grayson:** _Ready for school to start?_

At the mention of school, the waterbender felt her stomach do a flip-flop as excitement bubbled up within her. Most kids her age weren't a fan of school, but Nightfall actually _enjoyed_ school and was looking forward to it starting back up.

Summer was nice, sure, she did enjoy the freedom too, but school meant dance.

And now that she was in the 9th grade, it meant that she could dance _competitively_ as a member of the varsity dance team!

 **Sanders:** _Actually, yeah! :)_

 **Grayson:** _Same here!_

 **Sanders:** _You're just ready to kick butt as the mathlete champ again ;P_

 **Grayson:** _You know it! ;D_

Nightfall chuckled to herself, smiling at her screen. They bantered back and forth with each other for a few more minutes as the waterbender stood upon the roof, still waiting to hear from her father. Timewise he had only disappeared in there about fifteen-ish minutes ago, but it felt longer.

And the police were taking a while to arrive.

The store's alarm had stopped, but the lights associated with the alarm were still flashing. If Nightfall looked closely, she could occasionally see shadows moving across the windows. Suddenly a police siren sounded in the distance, and red flashing lights rounded the corner.

 **Sanders:** _Gotta go!_

Her message to Dick was quick, and she slipped her phone into her belt just as two police cars skidded to a halt in front of the store. She faintly felt it vibrate, but Nightfall ignored it to watch as four cops exited their vehicles, weapons drawn as they cautiously made their way towards the store.

The waterbender watched for her father, looking to see Nighttide make his exit from the store, but she didn't see him as the cops entered the building. She frowned.

"Let's go." A gruff voice sounded from behind Nightfall, and she jumped.

Whirling around she prepared herself for the worst, but was relieved to see it was just Nighttide. She inspected him and noted how he harbored not a _single_ scratch whatsoever from whatever battle he may have faced inside the store.

"How'd it go?"

Nighttide ignored her question and instead held out a piece of fabric, "What do you make of this?"

Nightfall glanced at her father before taking the fabric from his hands. She examined it, noting how the cloth was soft and black. Nightfall spun it around, fingers running over the insignia that was on the front.

It was a flame.

A bandana with a flame on it.

She knew that symbol…

"The Pyros were responsible?"

Nighttide nodded in response and Nightfall gave him the bandana back, "There were five of them. What looked to be four newbies and a higher ranking member overseeing them; but he got away. This was probably meant to be an initiation."

The Pyro's were a relatively new gang that had popped up on the streets of Brooklyn a few years back. As their name suggests, fire was their main weapon source, and they often burned down any place they robbed.

This store was lucky Nighttide had been around or else it would be ashes by now.

Nighttide and Nightfall didn't know much about the inner workings of The Pyro's, but from what they did know, it was run by someone named Agni. They showed up rather fast, and ran under the guise they were 'cleansing' Brooklyn, but in reality they were just a group of powerful bullies. They stole and torched, literally burning fear into the hearts of Brooklyn.

The two waterbender's did their best to stop The Pyros where they could, but the gang was ever growing and their water could only extinguish the fire for so long. It was an ever escalating battle, and Nightfall wasn't sure why her father wouldn't ask Batman- a.k.a the World's _Greatest_ Detective- for help in tracking Agni down.

It was probably a pride and stubbornness thing.

Nighttide liked to handle his own problems.

A car door slammed and Nightfall glanced over the edge once more. The cops had emerged from the shop, each one escorting a handcuffed Pyro towards their vehicles. If Nighttide's assumption was correct and these were just newbies to the Pyro gang, then they weren't going to be returning to the streets any time soon.

The Pyros only took care of their own if they were worthy and had proved themselves. Four newbies getting caught on what was most likely their first night out meant they were going to jail with no hope of being saved by Agni.

Nighttide placed a hand on Nightfall's shoulder and she turned her head towards him, "We should be headed home."

"Okay." She nodded at his words and turned away from the edge, just as the cop cars began to drive off, Pyro gang members in tow.

* * *

 **GOTHAM CITY**

Kayanna followed her father up the basement stairs and towards their kitchen. After changing out of their superhero garb, Koda had logged the Pyro gang activity on in the file he had been keeping of them. He left the bandana with the fire insignia on it on top of the ever growing pile Koda seemed to be collecting.

"You want some ice cream?" Kayanna paused in the doorframe she was about to pass through and glanced back at her father. He was opening a cabinet door, pulling out two bowls. Koda held one up her way.

She recognized what he was doing. It was a peace offering.

"We have blue _mo~on_."

And he knew how to twist her arm.

Kayanna relented with a sigh and a soft smile. She slipped into a bar stool at their island counter as Koda placed a bowl in front of her. He turned towards the freezer, opening it up and pulling out two quarts of ice cream, blue moon for Kayanna and plain chocolate for Koda.

After being handed a spoon and her ice cream, she helped herself to a little bowl. It may have been about four in the morning now, but ice cream was good no matter what time of day.

Koda joined her at the island after placing the bins of ice cream back in the freezer. He took a bite of his chocolate ice cream, savoring the taste as Kayanna dug in beside him. She did more playing with her frozen treat than eating though.

July was almost over and tonight was the most amount of time she had willingly spent with her father since the Cadmus incident. It was obvious things had been rocky between the two since then, but that was more on Kayanna than it was on her father. He had tried to make efforts, like trying to join her when she trained, but she'd turn her back and disappear on him.

Kayanna poked at her ice cream, watching as it melted into a blue puddle. She sighed, the sound catching her father's attention and he turned to glance at her, "Everything alright?"

She shook her head, tears welling up in the corner of her eyes and her mouth opened and closed as she fumbled for words, "I-I'm sorry." Those were the only words she could come up with.

"Hey, it's okay," Koda put his spoon down and pushed his bowl away. A tear streaked down his daughter's cheek and he reached over. When Kayanna didn't flinch away from him, he wrapped his arms around her shoulders and pulled her to his chest.

"I'm sorry for scaring you when I disappeared with the others… I-I just wanted to help. I wanted to be a part of something more… They were all going on about not being treated like kids and I related. I didn't mean to scare you."

Koda heaved a sigh, arms tightening slightly around his daughter, "You _terrified_ me, Kayanna. We came back and you all were just _gone_ without a trace. If something had happened to you-"

"I know, and I'm _sorry_. I really am."

"Do you still not regret what happened that night?"

"I regret not telling you where we were going…" Kayanna looked up at the older waterbender, sniffling slightly, "but I _enjoyed_ being a part of something."

Koda brushed a thumb under his daughter's eye, wiping away a stray tear, "I can admit to you five doing good work, but you need to remember communication is important. If you're going to keep up being a hero, you need to realize the severity of the path you're going down."

"I do!" Kayanna pulled back, "And it's not like I disappeared alone… we all had each other's backs."

"And I'm glad you understand how important teamwork is, but my point is you're still young. You have so much to learn and it's so important that you realize being a hero isn't a game. It's not all about the glory."

The younger waterbender stared down at her melted bowl of ice cream, "I just don't like being treated like a child."

"You are one though, Kayanna," Koda voice softly and his daughter looked at him, mouth open to retaliate, "You're only fourteen. Stop trying to grow up so fast."

"I'm just trying to live up to your name."

"Well _stop_. Don't try to be _Nighttide_ , be _Nightfall_!" He tried to explain, voice rising slightly at the end. She took in his words as Koda carried on, taking in a deep breath, "But I guess you deserve more responsibility in the field. I want to believe you'll be my baby girl forever, but I know that's not the case. You're growing up and I can't keep baby-ing you in the field."

Kayanna sniffled, a soft smile on her face and she threw her arms around her dad's neck, "I'll always be your baby girl."

" _Nalligivagit,_ Kayanna." **(I love you.)**

" _Nalligivagit_ "

"Well this is a pleasant scene to wake up to," A soft voice called out. Kayanna and Koda parted, looking over to see Elizabeth standing in the doorframe, scrubs on and a smile on her face.

"Late night?" Koda questioned.

"Early morning," Elizabeth exhaled and walked over to the coffee pot, "but it looks like you two had a late night."

"You could say that," Koda shook his head with a laugh. He glanced at his daughter and stood up, grabbing his bowl and hers, "You should head up to bed, Kayanna." The older waterbender placed the bowls in the sink as she nodded.

"Goodnight, dad." Kayanna smiled his way before walking over and giving her mom a hug. She wished her a good day at work before exiting the kitchen to head up to her room.

Elizabeth watched her leave with a smile on her face before she turned to her husband, who had walked over to her side. Koda's hand curled around her waist. He pressed a kiss to her cheek and she hummed in response, "Good conversation?"

Koda smiled fondly, "Yeah, it was."

And he really meant that.

Like himself, it was often hard to get Kayanna to open up about her feelings, especially when she was _mad_ at you. Things were starting to simmer down and return back to normal between the two. It was a gradual process, but they'd get there.

He would probably just have to bribe her with _more_ ice cream.

* * *

 **A/N: Not really content with this chapter or where it ended, but I didn't just want to jump to when Nightfall actually joins the team because- slight spoiler I guess- a few months pass between Cadmus and when she joins. This chapter more so just served in giving you some more background intel on Kayanna and her family as well as her relationships with various people. Also wanted to start wrapping up Koda and Kayanna's rocky relationship after Cadmus.**

 **Words:** 6,626

 **Pages:** 17

 **Reviews:**

* * *

 **TheHG-Phonebox:** Thank you so much! I'm glad you like my characters and art! It means a lot to hear that.

 **ClassicalStars:** Ahh my bae .3. Thank you, thank you!

 **Taffdog19943:** I try not to let them bother me, but sometimes it's hard, you know? But thank you for your kind words and I'm glad you like this!

 **Person002:** Trolls man. Gotta love them? xD Thank you! I've had fun trying to slightly re-imagine the plot with Nightfall in it and give her a more unique start to her superhero lifestyle. A lot of YJ OCs are with the team from the very beginning (a few of my OCs included as well) so I wanted to do something a bit different!

Thank you so much! I always love hearing from you~

 **locky3670:** Thank you so much! I'm trying to keep things realistic and unique! I know the "protective parent" trope is used a lot but its a trope I love and makes sense? lol

 **C.B. Weasley:** Thank you! Ah, just you wait! ;D

 **Guest:** Don't worry friend, no blood bending here! An older version of the two did have them blood bending, but I took it out because it doesn't make much sense and I could never see either of the two using it.

 **Emily:** Hello! Thank you! And I'm sorry about all the similar Night names... Nightlight belongs to a friend and she was named Nightlight before Nightlight and Nightfall joined universes. As for Nighttide, his name similarity to Nightfall was purposeful because you know, father/daughter superhero duo!

* * *

 **Thanks all for the support! It really keeps me going in regards to writing for this story! ^^**

 **-SnowWolf22**

 **P.s. The next chapter should hopefully have more action in it and be more exciting... lol**


	5. Hurricane

**Young Justice is not mine.**

* * *

 **Hurricane**

 _"Not all storms come to disrupt your life, some come to clear your path."_

\- Unknown

* * *

 **GOTHAM ACADEMY**

" _Aaaaaaand_ that's a wrap, ladies!"

Kayanna groaned as she fell to the ground with a flop, chest heaving and sweat trickling down her brow. She exhaled heavily and tossed an arm up over her face, covering her eyes as her heart rate settled. A dull ache had begun to settle within her extremities, particularly her legs, and Kayanna knew she'd be _very_ sore in the morning.

"Good job today, girls!" Maria Usher, Gotham Academy's Varsity dance team instructor praised, "The choreography is _really_ coming together."

There were various claps and cheers from the other dancers as Kayanna stirred and propped herself up, back cracking in the process. She began to stretch, leaning forward and bringing her chest to her knees, legs outstretched as she reached for her toes. Stretching after a vigorous workout- such as dancing- was important, as it helped to increase flexibility and reduce muscle tension, which was hopefully going to alleviate some of the soreness she was going to feel tomorrow.

"You're keeping up pretty well, freshie." Kayanna glanced over as Sydney, a junior on the dance team, sat beside the brunette. Her black hair was in a tight bun, brown eyes bright as she smiled at the other girl.

"I'm doing my best." Kayanna admitted softly. It wasn't very often that freshman were allowed onto the varsity dance team at Gotham Academy, but alongside one other freshman, Kayanna had earned her spot, and she was determined to keep it.

"And it shows," Sydney confirmed as she curved her body to stretch to the right, arm lifted above her head.

Kayanna stood up and stretched her arms well above her head, turning to glance down at Sydney with a soft smile, "Thanks, that means a lot." And it did. Most of the girls on the team had been on it for more than a year, and they all knew each other fairly well. It was intimidating, to say the least, to join such a close-nit team, nonetheless one that accepted freshman.

Sydney climbed to her feet as well and together the two walked towards the bleachers to retrieve their stuff. Kayanna grabbed her duffel bag and water bottle, taking a giant swig before following the rest of the team towards the locker room after being dismissed by Maria.

* * *

Kayanna stepped out of the changing stall, duffel bag tossed over her shoulder. She ran a hand through her freshly damp hair and made her way towards the exit. Most of the dance team had already left, their instructor included, which left Kayanna alone as she stepped into the darkened gymnasium.

It was eerie being in Gotham Academy after dark, but the dance team's practices often ran late- much to the janitor's annoyance- so it was something the brunette was going to have to get used to.

The silence of the gymnasium was suddenly broken by distant crashing noises. She initially brushed them off, assuming maybe the janitor was the cause of the noise, but then they began to get closer and louder, and Kayanna froze. Her body instantly went on high alert, her duffel bag slipping off her shoulders. She internally cursed at the realization that she didn't have her Nightfall garb with her, which meant doing anything too rash could put her identity at risk.

That didn't mean she couldn't try and _discreetly_ investigate. She had to go towards the crashing noises to leave the building anyways, and Kyle wouldn't be there to pick her up for another twenty minutes.

 _As a hero, it's my job to investigate weird noises…right?_

Kayanna told herself as she made haste to exit the gym, picking her duffel bag back up before racing across the large room. She didn't make it very far, however, before the crashing noises came to her.

An explosion rocked the gymnasium, a large gaping hole appearing on the upper wall of one side of the gym, a science lab on the other side. Kayanna whirled around, startled, as a body came flying through the hole, landing harshly on the wooden floor before skidding to a halt.

Before the brunette had a chance to see who the body belonged to, a clapping sound echoed hollowly through the air. Kayanna followed her ears to the source: a tiny man wearing a bowtie sitting on the bleachers and confusion bubbled up within her.

 _When did_ he _get there?_ She frowned to herself, _And are those_ monkeys _sitting beside him?_

Said monkeys were eerie and mechanical looking, with bright green eyes and a broad grin. They chittered alongside the tiny man, who hadn't seemed to notice Kayanna yet, as his attention was directed to the person on the floor.

"I don't usually attend these things in person," The tiny man drawled, chuckling darkly, "but this was _too_ good to miss."

 _Man, this was_ weird.

The person on the gym floor shifted before moving into an upright position, and Kayanna's eyes widened as recognition washed over her.

It was Superboy! The clone she had helped to rescue from Cadmus a month back.

 _But what is_ he _doing here?_

She didn't have time to contemplate the thought as the room shook violently, a large android landing in the center of the gym. Its gaze was set on Superboy and it spoke robotically, "Access: Superman."

Kayanna watched from the sidelines as the android stood there, poised to attack but the clone made the first move. Superboy landed a solid punch on the android, but it looked to have no effect as it retaliated immediately, punches harder and stronger than the clone's own. He took beating after beating, not being able to get a hit in before the android knocked him to the ground.

The android raised his arms above his head, preparing to bring them down upon Superboy before him, and Kayanna leapt into action. She quickly pulled up the hood on her sweatshirt, tightening it just enough to distort her facial features a bit, but not tight enough to block her vision.

"Hey, robot-face!" She called out, pulling the water out of her water bottle and directing it towards the android in a sharp stream. The android turned his head towards the girl just as the stream wrapped around its upper bicep. Kayanna did her best to tug its arm down, but since she lacked super strength, all she did was provide a minor distraction.

But it proved to be enough.

The android dropped its arms, Superboy momentarily forgotten as it turned on the waterbender. Kayanna did her best to swallow the panic that welled up within her as she became to the sole focus of the android's attention, and with a yank of her hand, she tugged the water back towards herself. She waved her hand and sent the water sailing back towards the android.

"Nighttide." The android spoke, and Kayanna watched with horror as it swiped its hand to the side, deflecting the water just like her father would before speeding towards the waterbender.

A pink bubble suddenly encased the girl, the android's fist landing harmlessly on the shield. Kayanna blinked and then flinched as the android punched at the shield once more, cracks beginning to dance across the bubbles surface with each blow.

The android raised its arms up once more, and abruptly the bubble dissipated.

" _Yoink_!" A familiar voice called out, and Kayanna suddenly found herself in a pair of arms as she was swept across the room, the android's arms coming down on nothingness.

Kayanna was placed on the ground and she turned, looking up into the confused eyes of Kid Flash. Beside him was Robin and Nightlight, as well as slightly damaged Superboy, and the girl found herself wondering why all four of them were suddenly here.

And why they seemed to be working with each other?

Robin threw a birdarang as the android encroached on the small group, but with the utterance of Martian Manhunter's name, the projectile sailed harmlessly through him before erupting in the distance.

Nightlight created another shield just as a high beam of energy sailed their way- no doubt a result of Captain Atom's powers. It collided with the shield, protecting the heroes for a moment as they braced for further battle.

"Is that the android the League was fighting?" Kayanna frowned as she addressed the four heroes. She remembered her dad being called in by Green Arrow alongside some other members of the League to fight a powerful android that apparently had _all_ the powers of the League.

 _And this guy_ sure _fit the bill…_

The shield began to crack and splinter.

"How do you-" Kid Flash started, but he was cut off as the shield ruptured, and a red tornado swept up the five teenagers, swiftly spinning them around before launching them across the gym.

Kid Flash slammed against a brick wall, Kayanna crashing into his chest, her head ramming into his nose. They slid to the ground with groans of pain, blood trickling down the speedster's face from a potentially broken nose.

The two weren't given much time to recuperate as the android stepped ominously towards them. A bright glow of energy appeared in its palm as the android accessed Captain Atom's powers again, and once more Kid Flash picked up Kayanna before racing them towards safety. The beam of energy collided roughly with the gym's wall.

Kid Flash ran the two under some bleachers, and once they reached the other side he set Kayanna down, making sure she was still behind cover, "Stay here!" He ordered before he raced around the corner, making a direct beeline towards the android.

"Access: Black Canary."

A sonic scream filled the gym, and Kid Flash was knocked backwards, clutching his ears as he skidded across the hard flooring. Superboy made a pass at the android, but it activated Superman's powers and knocked the clone away with a strong punch.

Nightlight swooped in to provide her own assault, launching a barrage of pink disks at the android. It held up an arm, trying to deflect each blast of energy before it managed to snag the girl's cape as she flew around it. The android spun around and roughly hurled Nightlight into the bleachers. She landed with a harsh thud, a sharp piece up metal slicing her leg and she hissed in pain as it stung.

Kayanna darted across the gym floor to Kid Flash's side, helping the speedster to his feet. Superboy and the android continued to battle it out in the background, Nightlight recuperating in the stands, and Kid Flash glanced at the girl, "I thought I told you to stay put."

"You're not the boss of me."

Kid Flash rolled his eyes, "This isn't safe for a civilian."

"And who says I'm _just_ a civilian?" Kayanna quipped back.

Kid Flash opened his mouth to retort, but Robin beat him to it as the boy wonder appeared alongside the duo, "Dude, that's _Nightfall._ " The speedster shook his head as he glanced between his best friend and the girl. Though he had met Nightfall in costume, the two hadn't met in civvies so he didn't recognize her.

Not to mention her hood hid most of her hair and face.

At the speedster's confused look, Kayanna cracked a shy grin and shrugged, "We decimate a rogue genetics lab together and yet you _don't_ recognize me, Kid? And here I thought we were friends…" She joked lightly. The waterbender had to remind herself he didn't purposefully forget her or anything, she was just _Kayanna_ right now, and _not_ Nightfall.

A slow grin stretched across Kid Flash's face, "Nighty!" He quirked a brow, "What are you doing here?"

"Dance-"

Superboy went sailing through the air and crashed into the basketball hoop above, taking the whole contraption down with him. Kid Flash and Robin immediately ran to their friend's aide, helping pull the clone out of the rubble.

"I could use some help out there." Superboy grumbled and wiped a bit of dust off his shoulder.

"Weren't you the one who said you didn't _want_ help?" Kid Flash shrank back as Superboy flashed him a harsh glare, and the speedster held his hands up, "Sorry, bad time to joke…"

The clone scowled and shook his head before leaping back into action. He aimed to tackle the android, but it just stuck its foot out before slamming Superboy into the ground and pressing down onto the clone's chest. Superboy grabbed ahold of the android's foot, using all the strength he could muster to move the android, but it was still using Superman's powers.

Robin pulled out some more birdarangs and launched them towards the android. It accessed Martian Manhunter's powers once more, but this time used a different subset. Its arms extended greatly, thrashing about and swiping the projectiles from the air. The change in powers coupled with the android being distracted allowed Superboy to push the android off of himself, causing it to stumble back a few feet.

With its arms still long and extended, it whipped them towards Superboy, and the clone leapt to the side to avoid being hit. Kayanna found herself in front of a water fountain, and taking in a deep breath, she attempted the same move she had used on Desmond back at Cadmus.

Kayanna sucked in a deep breath before jutting her arms forward. The fountain creaked and moaned as the water pressure built up behind it before it erupted, and Kayanna moved her arms around herself to keep control of the water.

With a quick jump forward and a jerk of her hands, she sent the water flying forwards and towards the android. She twisted her hands and the water transformed into icicles, the sharp projectiles hurtling towards the androids chest. It turned to her, once more muttering her father's name before holding a hand up and stopping the icicles in place.

It flicked its hand towards Kayanna, aiming to send her own icicles back at her, but luckily for the waterbender, it took practice and skill to _accurately_ control water. Instead of the icicles being returned to sender, Kayanna was able to wrestle control of the icicles from the android. With a wave of her hand she tried to turn them back on the android, but realizing it lacked the control she had, the android accessed Martian Manhunter's powers, and the icicles went sailing through its intangible form.

Kid Flash raced towards the android, only to suddenly find himself dodging icicles as he cried out, " _Babe_!"

Kayanna flinched, "Sorry!"

The android whirled around and grabbed Kid Flash before crushing the speedster to his chest, utilizing Superman's powers to add extra strength to the bone-crushing hug. Kid Flash cried out as Kayanna and Robin made an attempt to help him, but there was a _twang_ as an arrow sailed towards the android.

It went intangible once more, and Kid Flash slipped through his grasp as the arrow landed between Kayanna and Robin. The girl glanced down at it before looking at Robin, who had a scowl on his face, "Is Speedy out there or something?"

"No," was the boy wonder's simple response.

Kid Flash, now free of the android's grasp, slipped away as Superboy came flying towards the android.

"Access: Black Canary." Kayanna braced herself for another sonic scream, but the android instead swiftly grabbed the clone before launching him across the gym, where he crash landed in the bleachers.

A barrage of pink energy bursts assaulted the android as Nightlight flew up from the stands, her eyes glowing brighter as she rejoined the fight. The fabric of her pants was torn slightly, blood trickling from the wound, but the girl ignored the pain. She continued with her attack on the android, who was doing its best to avoid the blasts.

Kid Flash raced up from behind, attempting a sneak attack in hopes of landing a punch on the android. Just like his past few attempts, this one didn't work out and the speedster suddenly felt himself flying through the air. He collided with Nightlight, who had attempted to catch Kid Flash, and together the two crashed roughly into the ground.

Robin threw some more birdarangs and Kayanna doled out more icicles. The android turned towards the two as their projectiles bounced harmlessly off his metallic body, and then it accessed Superman's powers. Its eyes began to glow red before lasers shot out. Kayanna managed to pull up a quick water barrier with the water at her feet, freezing it into an ice shield for protection.

The android's laser vision collided full force with the ice shield, erupting it into pieces and sending the two heroes flying back. Robin struck the ground first, Kayanna rolling and landing on top of him.

The smoke began to clear and Kayanna groaned, shifting slightly before she realized she was _on top of_ someone. Her eyes snapped open and she found herself staring directly into Robin's masked covered eyes, the two being nearly _nose to nose_. A heavy blush dusted Kayanna's cheeks and Robin sucked in a breath as he removed his hands from her waist, holding them as far from her body as possible.

Kayanna coughed awkwardly before struggling to clamber off the flustered boy wonder. In her haste to stand up, her foot got caught on his cape, and she found herself greeting the floor face first. Robin was immediately at her side, helping her to stand up and the waterbender internally cursed.

She was a _dancer_ \- she was supposed to be _graceful_ and _fluid_.

And falling _onto her face_ in front of _Robin_ did _not_ fall into that category.

Kid Flash skidded to a halt beside the two recuperating teens with Nightlight on his heels, the two evidently oblivious to the blunder that had just occurred between the two younger heroes. They watched as Superboy was knocked into the bleachers, and the android returned its attention to the four.

"Gotta move!" Kid Flash cried out, grabbing Kayanna by the hand as Nightlight snagged Robin. Two bright red bursts of energy landed where the four were once standing, creating sizzling holes in the floor, "Too close," the speedster breathed out, and Kayanna nodded her head in agreeance as the four ducked behind the bleachers.

The android stood in the center of the gym, not moving, and Kayanna found herself unnerved. She fiddled with her hoodie strings as Robin and Kid Flash poked their heads out. A laser pierced the air and collided with the wall near the four, kicking up more dust and debris as Robin and Kid Flash quickly slipped back into cover. Nightlight attempted the shield the group, but found her energy levels to be too low to allow her to do so. She frowned.

"At this rate, we're going to be here all night," Kid Flash grumbled.

"We really need a plan."

Kayanna quirked a brow and glanced between the two, "Shouldn't your mentors be here helping?" It hadn't really dawned on her before that there weren't any Leaguers in sight, but now that they had a mini reprieve, she was curious to say the least.

Plus, why were Superboy, Nightlight and Kid Flash in Gotham? They belonged in Metropolis, San Francisco, and Central City respectively.

Kid Flash shared a look with Nightlight before addressing the waterbender, " _Please_ , the team doesn't need their help! We can handle this on our own."

"Team?" Kayanna scrunched her nose as confusion flashed across her face.

Their conversation as cut short, however, when an enraged voice suddenly resonated around the gym, "It makes me **_ANGRY_**!"

The bleachers Kayanna and the others were hiding behind suddenly shook. Kid Flash peaked out from around the corner, the other three following suit. Superboy was perched on the bleachers, and the tiny man was quickly scampering away.

" ** _WANNA SEE ME_** **CHANNEL** ** _THAT ANGER_** _?!_ "

"Great!" Kid Flash groaned and Kayanna flinched at the clone's tone, "He's gone _ballistic_ again!"

"Again?" The waterbender questioned, but she went ignored as Robin shook his head, a small grin on his face.

"Maybe not…"

Nightlight nodded, "I think Superboy has a _plan_."

"Amazo!" The tiny man shrieked- in a _very_ manly way Kayanna might add- and stumbled down the bleachers, tripping over his own two feet as the robotic monkeys flew beside him, "Protect your master, priority _alpha_!"

Superboy leapt towards the scared man once more, causing him to dive off the bleachers. He landed in a heap on the ground, bow tie askew and his robotic monkey things latched onto his sweater vest, helping him up. The tiny man was quickly knocked back to the ground, however, as Robin flipped in.

"Anyone wanna play keep away?" The boy wonder cackled.

Kayanna giggled at the absurdity of the situation as she joined in on the 'fun', picking up some left over water nearby the water fountain she may have destroyed, "I wanna join in!" She shot her hand out, the water forming into a whip before it curled around the struggling man's leg. The waterbender curled her fist and swept her arm to the side, sending the tiny man sliding towards a speeding Kid Flash.

The speedster beamed as the raced across the gym, calling out excitedly, "Me, me!"

"Superman." The android- Amazo as Kayanna now learned it was called- stomped the floor, the wooden boards separating as a violent shockwave rippled through them. Kid Flash got caught up in the ripple before he could near the downed man, and he was sent flying into the bleachers.

Kayanna and Robin jumped onto the bleachers, avoiding the tremor and racing towards Kid Flash, who had landed upside down a few rows up. Nightlight flew ahead of the two, landing beside Kid Flash and helping to right him as Robin stopped. The boy wonder whipped out some more birdarangs, aiming them once more at the Amazo.

Robin's projectiles sailed through the air, careening towards their target. Martian Manhunter's name was called once more, and the android's body went intangible, the birdarangs passing right through his body just as Superboy landed in front of Amazo.

Amazo, still intangible, prepared another attack, but the clone put his fist through its face just as the android's body solidified once more. A fist in the head is not conducive to a functioning android, and sparks began to fly before Amazo- quite literally- lost its head.

Superboy pulled his fist back, the place where Amazo's head used to be still sparking. The android's body stood for a few seconds before it fell to its knees and then to the ground, a dull metallic thud echoing in the gym. Robin darted towards the android, sliding to his knees and skidding to a halt beside it.

"Help me disassemble it, _now_!"

" _Dude_ , the guy has no head." Kid Flash shook his head, arm tossed around Nightlight's shoulder as she helped his down the bleachers.

"Do not take any chances!" A new voice called, and Kayanna turned towards the gym entrance just as Aqualad, followed closely by a… _green_ girl, entered. The waterbender went mostly ignored as Aqualad came to Robin's aide, while the green girl- Kayanna deduced she was a _Martian_ \- immediately settled herself at Superboy's side.

"Superboy, are you alright?" Her brows were crinkled together, a look of worry on her face as she placed her hands on his upper arm, the touch almost _intimate_.

 _Did Superboy have a girlfriend_ already? Kayanna couldn't help but think to herself.

"Fine," Superboy breathed out, barely sparing the Martian girl a glance as he looked to Robin, and Kayanna removed the thought of the two being a couple from her mind. The clone had a soft smile on his face as he said, "Feeling the aster."

Robin glanced up from his work, a bright smile on his face. A silence fell over the group of gathered heroes, the only sounds being the clanking of metal as the boy wonder and Aqualad worked to dismember Amazo. Sirens wailed in the distance, no doubt en-route to figure out just what the heck was going on at Gotham Academy, but no one paid them any mind for the time being.

Kayanna glanced around the gym as she hovered behind the heroes. Her mind couldn't seem to settle on a specific thought as it rotated between assessing the damage done to her school and the fact there was apparently a _team_ of sidekicks running around now.

One her father had _conveniently_ forgotten to tell her about.

"Hey!" Kid Flash suddenly cried out, breaking Kayanna out of her thoughts and she blinked, "Where's Ivo?"

"Tiny man?" Kayanna asked, drawing attention to herself as she looked around the room. Sure enough, this _Ivo_ was gone, and so were those robotic monkeys of his.

"And this is why we _don't_ play keep away with the villains." Nightlight shook her head. Kid Flash and Robin flashed her sheepish smiles, and Aqualad faced Kayanna from his place on the floor.

"Who are you?" He questioned the girl.

Kayanna dropped her hood, messy brown hair spilling out from within. Sometime during the battle her hair-tie had snapped, her hood being the only reason her hair hadn't been going everywhere.

"Does the mask _really_ make me look that different?" She jabbed lightly.

Robin snorted, "It's better than a pair of _glasses_." Kayanna gave the boy wonder a confused look, not quite understanding the comparison, but Robin just laughed knowingly, doing his best to stifle his laughter when Nightlight elbowed him.

Aqualad frowned for a second, her voice being familiar, but it took him a moment to place it. When he did, a soft smile settled on his lips, "Nightfall." He nodded, and said girl smiled, "I did not expect you to be here to aid us." The Atlantean quirked a brow as he took in what Kayanna was wearing. A lightly scuffed red and pink sweatshirt with a pair of shorts, "but where is your hero attire?"

Kayanna shrugged, blue eyes shifting to look around at the damage to the gym once more, "I, uh, this is my school." She gestured to the back wall and towards some blue mats, which had been knocked over and damaged in the fray, "I was here for dance practice."

"A dancer, huh?" Kid Flash waggled his eyebrows, "Babe, you can dance f- _ow_!" The speedster cried out and rubbed his ribs, glaring at his best friend who faced forward nonchalantly, " _Dude_!"

Robin didn't say anything and Nightlight rolled her eyes, a small scowl on her face, " _None_ of us needed to hear you finish that sentence, Kid."

Kayanna blinked as she digested what Kid Flash had started to say. Her heart fluttered and a blush began to spread across her face before she turned her gaze to her feet, kicking softly at the floor. The brunette didn't further respond to the boy- not that she actually _knew_ what to say to him- so she settled for going silent.

The green girl was the one to break the silence, floating towards the blushing waterbender with her hands clasped together and a smile on her face, "I'm Miss Martian!" She chirped, hazel eyes twinkling, "You must be the Nightfall the others were talking about."

Kayanna glanced up.

 _The others had been talking about me?_

Her eyes scanned over the other heroes before settling again on Miss Martian, "Uh, yeah. That's me!"

Miss Martian beamed, "It's so nice to meet you! Will you be joining the team?"

"Oh, uhm… I kind of just learned about the team like five minutes ago, so no?"

The Martian's smile fell, "Oh."

An awkward silence on the group and Kid Flash detangled himself from Nightlight, the shorter girl frowning as the speedster walked over to Kayanna and tossed an arm over her shoulder. He gave it a quick squeeze, "Our girl here has a _very_ overprotective father."

Kayanna scowled as her face flushed in embarrassment, and she ducked underneath Kid Flash's arm, "You didn't _have_ to tell her that!" She knew her dad meant well and was just looking out for her, but when you put things into words the way Kid Flash had, it made her seem like she was nothing more than a child.

It made her feel inferior and weak.

"It's sweet of him to be looking out for you," Miss Martian smiled softly and clasped her hands together.

 _It's embarrassing_.

Is what Kayanna _really_ wanted to say, but Miss Martian looked so sincere in her words, so she just kept her mouth shut, only offering a simple nod in response.

Nightlight could sense the girl's unease and turned to Aqualad, changing the direction of the conversation, "Now what?"

* * *

 **SANDERS HOUSEHOLD**

The fiasco at Gotham Academy had occurred two days ago, and miraculously, Kayanna didn't get into a _lick_ of trouble.

She also didn't get to join the team, but that's a story for a different day.

Kayanna sat at the kitchen counter, a bowl of soggy cereal sitting beside her. The letter Gotham Academy had sent out to students- and staff- sat beside her forgotten breakfast.

The school had taken significant damage, and it apparently extended way further out than just the gym. Multiple hallways and lockers had been decimated, as well as a few of the science labs. The letter didn't define exactly _what_ had happened to the school, but of course Kayanna already knew.

Bruce Wayne had offered to cover the damage to the school. If it weren't for the fact Bruce Wayne funded a scholarship for Gotham Academy and his ward- one of Kayanna's best friends- attended the school, she might've found it a bit odd he was covering their repairs. The school was expensive enough as is, so they definitely had enough money to repair it on their own, but of course they graciously accepted Bruce's charitable offer. At least it saved tuition from increasing.

Kyle was able to attend Gotham Academy on a basketball scholarship he had earned, and though Kayanna didn't have a scholarship to the school, Koda was a professor at the school, which gave them half-off tuition for the school. If it weren't for that half-off, there was no way Kayanna would be attending Gotham Academy.

And thus there would've been no way Barbara Gordon would've ever been her best friend.

 _That would be a sad life to live…_

The letter also stated that the start of the school year was being pushed back a few weeks- though they weren't sure when exactly the school year would start. Kayanna didn't mind that part, but it also meant that for the time being- while the school was being repaired- that any and all school activities, such as the dance team, was put on hold.

And that part she _did_ mind.

A door opened and closed and Kayanna glanced over her shoulder, watching as her father entered the kitchen. He dropped his briefcase on the barstool beside the girl and ran a hand through his slicked back hair. With a heavy sigh he grabbed a glass from the cabinet before filling it with water.

Kayanna quirked a brow, "Rough meeting?"

"First Cadmus and then Gotham Academy." Koda shook his head, ignoring his daughter's question, "What's with you and destroying places?"

"Excuse me?" Kayanna scoffed, a smile spreading across her face when her father gave her a smirk, "I was minding my own business when trouble came to _me_."

Kayanna had thought Koda would be mad when he found out she had played a role in _some_ of the destruction Gotham Academy had taken, but he had actually taken the whole thing pretty well, understanding that the whole thing was kind of a 'wrong place, wrong time' situation. She hadn't gone behind his back to pursue heroics, and her father even admitted in her place he would've done the same thing.

Though their conversation did get slightly heated when she brought up the team.

Koda _had_ known about the team being formed after the events of Cadmus, and he _did_ purposefully withhold the information from her.

She had wanted to be pissed at him- and she was in all honesty- but she knew from prior experience that it wasn't going to solve anything.

"You must have a trouble magnet then or something because it finds you _a lot_." Koda set his glass on the counter and shook his head as his daughter rolled her eyes.

"Whatever. How'd the meeting go?"

"They're hoping to have the repairs done by the end of August, but it's looking like they may have to completely redo the piping system throughout the building, so it may take them a bit longer. Projected start date for the school year is September 7th."

"Two extra weeks of summer?" Kayanna grinned, "Nice."

Koda shook his head, "The board is still deciding on whether or not you guys will have to make up those two weeks at the end of the school year."

" _What_?" The girl groaned, "That's not fair!"

"Then you shouldn't have destroyed your school." Koda replied matter-of-factly before kissing his daughter on her head and exiting the kitchen. Kayanna rolled her eyes and propped her chin up on her hand, blowing out a puff of air.

 _Hopefully they didn't tack on two extra weeks of school at the end of the year…_

* * *

 **FOUR DAYS LATER…**

 _"It's a beautiful day in Gotham today, folks. The forecast predicts sunny with a high of 82, perfect weather for an outdoor barbeque and…"_

Kayanna scoffed as she glanced out the window. Kyle stood beside her, holding back the curtain as the two watched the gloomy weather together. Despite the forecast promising nothing but beautiful weather, it was the exact opposite. A streak of lightning licked the sky, thunder rumbling ominously in the distance as rain pelted the earth below.

"Something tells me the weatherman's forecast is _incorrect_." Kyle frowned.

He dropped the curtain and Kayanna scowled as she walked away, "So much for going to the beach today…" She dropped onto the couch, quickly clicking off the TV as the meteorologist promised _more_ happy weather.

They obviously hadn't taken a look outside in a while.

Kyle ruffled her hair as he passed by the couch, laughing as she smacked his hand away, "I'm sure the weather will clear up soon."

As if hearing his words, a particularly loud clap of thunder tore through the air. The force of the _booming_ noise caused the windows and walls of the house to quake and rattle and rain pelted the window harder. Kayanna flashed her brother an unamused look.

"You just _had_ to open your mouth."

A sharp knock sounded from the front door before Kyle could respond to his sister. Kayanna immediately leapt up from the couch, racing towards the door before Kyle placed himself in her path. Every time she tried to spin around him, he'd shift his position and block her path once more.

She cursed his basketball skills.

The knocking on the door started up again, this time more fervent than the first, and Kayanna groaned, " _Kyle_!"

"What?" He cracked a sly grin, ignoring the knocking on the door, "Eager to see your _boyfriend_ are we?"

Kayanna crinkled her nose, "Ew, Dick? He's like that _annoying_ brother I never wanted."

"And what does that make _me_?"

"The annoying brother that I _got_." She shoved him harder, this time catching him off guard, "Now _move_!" She slipped past him.

The knocking on the door had increased in speed and when Kayanna yanked the door open, Dick blinked, fist still raised. He cracked a wide grin at the brunette's annoyed look - no doubt the result of some sibling related issue if the smirk on Kyle's face was anything to go by – and chirped, "Lovely weather we're having today, huh 'Anna?"

"Don't get me started." She shook her head.

Barbara glanced between her two friends, umbrella clasped tightly in her hand. Even under the awning of Kayanna's house and the umbrella she was sharing with Dick, she was still getting pelted by droplets of rain, and she was not having it, "Complain about the weather later. Let me in."

The ginger didn't even give her friend a chance to respond before she was pushing past Kayanna and entering the house. Barbara shook out her umbrella and Dick entered behind her. He took off his slightly damp jacket, hanging it up on the coat rack before kicking off his shoes.

They landed in the middle of the walkway, and Kayanna kicked them towards the shoe rack, flashing her friend a frown, " _You_ may have a butler, Dick, but _we_ don't have one here."

A coy smirk settled on the raven's face, and Kayanna blinked as a flash of recognition washed over her. Due to the rain, Dick's normally slicked back hair was slightly disheveled, strands hanging limply in his face. There was something familiar about it, but she couldn't place it.

And it was kind of bothering her.

"…earth to Kayanna… are you there?"

The girl jerked, tearing her eyes from Dick and settling her gaze on Barbara, who was trying to get her attention, "I'm sorry, what?"

Her ginger friend rolled her eyes and repeated herself, "As I was _saying_ , seeing as the beach is _obviously_ out of the question-"

"What? You don't like swimming _dangerously_ Babs?" Dick quipped.

Kayanna laughed and Barbara scowled, "No, I like _living_ , Dick."

"It was just a suggestion." The raven held his hands up.

"If you don't have anything helpful to say," She gave Dick a pointed look, "then zip your pie-hole."

"Pie-hole?" Kyle quirked an amused brow, jumping into the conversation.

"My dad doesn't like swearing," Barbara breezily replied and before anyone could respond, she resumed her original thought, "Okay but seriously, what's on the agenda for today then?"

Kayanna pursed her lips in thought and Dick shrugged. Barbara eyed her two friends before her eyes shifted to Kyle, who just held his hands up in response. None of them had a clue what else to do.

"You guys are hopeless."

* * *

 **BROOKLYN**

 **ONE WEEK LATER...**

Nightfall ducked to the left, a fist sailing past her head and she counteracted the attack by jutting out her foot. The assailant fell to the ground, and she swiftly knocked him out. She swiped her hand out, water confining itself to a steady stream and wrapping around another assailants hand. Nightfall twisted her arm and sent the guy careening towards the alley wall. He conked his head against the stone and slumped to the ground.

With the perps now knocked out, the waterbender moved the two assailants together before quickly tying them up and sending an alert to the police. Nightfall grabbed the bag of miscellaneous goods they had stolen- it was mostly full of money- and headed towards the store from which the goods had come from.

The owner was grateful, shaking Nightfall's hand fervently and offering her a reward. The girl refuted the need for a reward, stating that she was just happy she could help, but the owner was adamant.

Nightfall ended up leaving with a free chocolate bar, the only type of reward she would accept before heading back to patrol.

" _Nighttide to Nightfall._ " Her father's voice rang in her ear, " _Meet me at the rendezvous point in five."_

"Roger that."

This night was sort of a trial and error run for Nightfall. It was the first time her father was allowing her to run her own patrol. Granted, he was no more than five miles away from her, but it was still a huge step for herself as a hero.

Nighttide was finally giving her more responsibilities in the field.

Nightfall jumped up and grabbed the ladder, pulling it down before hoisting herself up. She climbed up the rest of the fire escape before landing on the roof of their chosen rendezvous point. It was empty, as her father hadn't arrived yet, so she just paced around the rooftop.

A few minutes had passed, and still no sight or word from her father. Just as Nightfall went to contact him, an explosion erupted in the distance. She whirled around, watching as a plume of smoke blossomed from a building down by the docks. Fire quickly began to consume it, and Nightfall ran to jump off the building.

"Nightfall!"

The waterbender whirled around just as Nighttide made his way onto the roof.

She made her way towards him, "T-the docks just erupted."

"I see that."

Sirens began to wail in the distance as various fire departments in the area began to roll out. Nightfall was itching to get down there and help put out the flames- and potentially find the source of the trouble- but she had to wait for Nighttide's go ahead.

"Think it's the Pyro's?"

Nighttide glanced over at his daughter before returning his attention to the burning docks, analyzing the scene from afar, "No, too disruptive." The flames continued to consume the building, smoke filling the night sky. The older waterbender watched the scene before him with critical eyes, an unnerved feeling settling in the pit of his stomach.

The Pyro's were always more subtle about the things they burned down, as explosions and eruptions weren't really their M.O. They preferred the fire to be slow and drawn out, so when it was finally caught, it was almost too late to do anything about it.

"Stay here," Nighttide commanded, "I'm going to investigate."

"Wait, why can't I help?" Nightfall protested with a frown, turning her head.

"Just stay _put_ ," Her father faced her and placed a hand on her shoulder. She opened her mouth to argue, but Nighttide beat her to the punch, " _Please_ , Nightfall, I'm not going to argue with you."

Something about the explosion and subsequent fire wasn't sitting well with Nighttide, and he wanted to keep his daughter as far from it until he knew everything was all good.

Nightfall's eyes widened at the tone of her father's voice. He was actually _pleading_ with her instead of _commanding_ her. She nodded her head, "Oh, uh, yeah, can do."

Nighttide squeezed his daughter's shoulder once more before taking off, leaping to the next rooftop with ease and making his way towards the inferno burning down at the docks. Another building suddenly blew up, adding to the already raging blaze and Nightfall watched as her father disappeared from sight amongst the smoke and flames. She chewed her lower lip and hoped for the best.

* * *

Nightfall continued to pace along the rooftop's edge, watching the fire in the distance. No more building's had erupted- which she took as a good sign- but word from Nighttide had been sparce so far. He had contacted her to tell her he found something, but that was a few minutes ago so now she was just left waiting.

Alone.

On a rooftop.

 _Again_.

"Nighty!"

A sudden voice sounded and the girl whirled around with a screech. She snapped her wrist and the water from her pouch immediately shot forward towards the source of the voice.

" _Oof._ " The torrent of water collided with a solid body, sending them crashing into the rocky surface of the rooftop, "Babe!"

Nightfall's hands flew up to cover her mouth as a wave of recognition washed over her, "Kid!" She cried out and darted forward, coming to a halt besides the downed speedster.

Robin suddenly appeared on the rooftop, his notorious cackle echoing in the air as he helped his friend up, "Dude, she got you _good_."

Kid Flash grumbled and rubbed his wet chest, "What was that for, Nighty?" He asked the waterbender with a pout, ignoring the cackling boy wonder.

She waved her hand and the water removed itself from the front of Kid Flash's uniform, coiling itself up before returning back to Nightfall's water pouch. She opened her mouth to say something, but another feminine voice interrupted her.

"To be fair, you _did_ sneak up on her." Nightlight floated into view, pink glow extra bright in the darkness.

Nightfall glanced between the three heroes, eyebrows furrowed and lips quirked downwards in a frown, "What, uh… what are you guys doing here?"

"Came to recruit you to the team!" Kid Flash stated matter-of-factly, hands propped on his hips and Nightfall shook her head.

"Well, you've shown up at a rather inopportune time." The waterbender gestured behind herself, towards the fire by the docks that was slowly diminishing, "Nighttide's a bit preoccupied by _that_."

"Any idea what happened?" Robin questioned.

Nightfall shrugged, "It's currently being investigated."

"By you standing here?" Kid Flash looked skeptical before he suddenly flinched and cried out, Nightlight having smacked his chest.

"She said _Nighttide_ is investigating it."

A frown had made its way onto Nightfall's face as she kicked at a rock on the surface of the rooftop. It skidded away a few feet, bouncing before coming to a halt. The waterbender had the sudden urge to disappear, and she wished she had Nightlight's powers of invisibility.

But she didn't.

So she stood awkwardly on the roof and avoided eye contact with the others.

Kid Flash rubbed the back of his neck, an apologetic look on his face, "Sorry, Nighty." He shrugged, "If it makes you feel better, Flash did the same thing to me when I first became his protégé."

Nightfall's ears perked up and she glanced over at the speedster, "Really?"

"Yeah, and you know how much _begging_ I had to do to even _become_ Kid Flash in the first place?"

"Batman trained me for _months_ before letting me into the field."

"And I had to persuade Shadow Hunter to let me become a hero as well." Nightlight tacked on.

Nightfall crossed her arms and shrugged, turning around and re-focusing her gaze on the docks. The fire had diminished significantly, and the sirens and lights in the distance indicated the fire department were there to help eradicate the fire completely. She assumed her father played a role in the fire's receding, and the waterbender just wanted to be at his side helping him.

The confessions from her new friends made her feel slightly better about where she was at in her heroics, but it still kind of sucked being the newbie amongst them all.

"At least you guys are your _own_ heroes.

"We all started somewhere, Nightfall," Nightlight didn't skip a beat as she offered the other girl a soft smile, "You've got nothing to feel bad about."

 _'Nighttide to Nightfall.'_ The girl's comm crackled to life, preventing her from responding back to Nightlight.

She pressed her finger to her ear, "Nightfall here."

The other's stood beside her silently as Nightfall's conversation with Nighttide carried on.

 _'The source of the explosion seems to weapons trade gone wrong. I've managed to apprehend some of the suspects, but whoever actually caused the explosion got away'_

"Do you need help?" Nightfall tried to sound rather nonchalant and cool about the situation, but her voice cracked at the end, giving in to her nerves.

 _I just need them to think I'm_ not _pathetic…_

 _'Negative.'_ Her father voiced back, and the younger waterbender found herself scowling, _'The fire's almost out and the suspects are being loaded up, I should be back in fifteen.'_

Oh boy, _more_ waiting.

Nightfall sighed, "Okay. Just call me if you need me I guess…" She trailed off, trying not to sound too dejected.

 _'Will do. Nighttide out.'_

Robin shared a look with Kid Flash before the former began to speak, "Is everything alright?"

The waterbender turned, "The explosion was a weapons trade gone wrong apparently. Nighttide's got it under control." She shrugged her shoulders before flopping her hands at her side, "As per usual…" Nightfall muttered the last bit under her breath.

"Any idea who _caused_ the explosion?" Kid Flash asked.

"My dad didn't say, and my only guess was The Pyro's…"

"Pyro's?" Nightlight questioned, sharing a confused glance with Kid Flash.

"It's a gang that's recently popped up in Brooklyn," Robin spoke up before Nightfall could answer the girl, "They specialize in robbing places and setting them on fire."

The waterbender flashed him a quizzical look, "How did you-?"

"It's my job to know things." Robin answered with a smirk.

"You mean it's your job to _stalk_ people." The speedster retaliated with an eye roll.

"Same thing."

Nightfall glanced between the two friends for a second before shaking her head, "Okayy… well, my dad won't be back for another fifteen minutes… soooo yeah."

Before any of the three protégés could say something in response, an alarm began to blare from Robin's gauntlet. The boy wonder was quick to open his holo-computer, typing away on the holographic keyboard that appeared as he studied the screen.

His brows furrowed and he glanced up, "There's a bank a few blocks down that's being robbed."

"And you know this _how_?" Nightfall quirked a brow.

Nightlight crossed her arms, "He hacked into the security systems in the area when we got here."

"Its _way_ easier to fight crime when you know _exactly_ where it is," Robin explained and shrugged. Nightfall nodded and he grinned at her, "What do you say, Nightfall? Care to stop a robbery?"

Nightlight and Kid Flash settled their gazes on the girl, and Nightfall found herself chewing her lip once more as she glanced at her feet. She dug her foot into the rocky surface of the roof, the options presented to her dancing about in her mind.

On one hand she was itching for some action, not to mention she would get to work alongside Robin, Kid Flash, and Nightlight again- something of which she thoroughly enjoyed doing back at Cadmus.

But on the other hand, it seemed as if her father was starting to trust her more and give her more leeway in the field, and she didn't want to jeopardize that and ruin all the progress they had made since Cadmus.

In the end, Nightfall knew which option she had to pick.

"I'm sorry," She started and ran a hand through her brown hair, "as much as I would love to help, it's probably better if I wait for Nighttide here."

Nightlight nodded her head, "Understandable. Orders are orders." She lifted slightly off the ground and Kid Flash offered Nightfall a soft grin.

"It was nice seeing you again, Nighty."

"Likewise," She nodded back with a hesitant grin.

Kid Flash and Nightlight shared a look, the former speaking, "And, uh, if you change your mind, you know where to find us." And with that, the two took off, leaving Robin and Nightfall alone on the rooftop.

The waterbender turned towards Robin as he dug through his utility belt, "Aren't you going with them?"

"In a sec," The boy wonder responded before looking up and extending his hand towards the girl, "Here."

Nightfall quirked a brow and grabbed the small object in his hand. She held it up and examined it. It was a comm link, "What is…?" The waterbender looked at the small object in confusion before glancing up at Robin, "I already have a comm link though?"

"I know," Robin nodded, "but this one is linked to my comm," There was a pause before he hastily added, "as well as Nightlight and Kid Flash's."

Nightfall shook her head and slipped the comm into her ear, "Oh, okay. Uh, thanks."

"No problem," The boy wonder grinned. He gestured in the direction Kid Flash and Nightlight had disappeared to, "I should probably go join them."

"Yeah, probably."

Robin waved at the girl and Nightfall watched as he darted towards the edge of the rooftop. Just as he prepared to flip off the edge, he paused. The boy wonder turned to face the girl once more, and Nightfall cocked her head to the side in mild confusion, "And for the record, Nightfall, you should be more confident in yourself. I think you're doing great as a hero so far."

Butterflies erupted in Nightfall's stomach at the boy wonder's words, a giddy feeling washing over her body and she shyly tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, "T-thanks, Robin." A soft blush dusted her cheeks as she gazed over at the boy, eyes twinkling in the night and Robin felt his face redden at the lovely smile on her face.

Yeah, Robin _loved_ to see her smile.

"That really means a lot to hear." Nightfall finished softly.

The boy wonder's lips quirked upwards, "No problem."

And then he disappeared into the night, leaving Nightfall alone on a rooftop once more.

* * *

Minutes ticked by slowly as Nightfall stood upon the rooftop, eyes watching the city intently. A soft breeze ruffled the girl's hair and elicited a shiver to run down her spine, goosebumps rippling up her arms.

Though it was still August, the nights were slowly becoming cooler and cooler as fall began to set in.

Nighttide had contacted the younger waterbender a few minutes after the other protégés had left, alerting the girl to the fact that he was going to be arriving back at their rendezvous point _later_ than he had anticipated. He didn't tell her _why_ he was going to be late, and that fact didn't sit well with Nightfall, but there wasn't much she could do about it.

She could always wheedle it out of him later.

With a groan, Nightfall turned around and faced the direction Robin had recently disappeared to. Based on the directions she had been given, Nightfall knew which bank the three heroes were headed to- or were already at, and she debated with herself as to whether or not she should join them.

Nighttide was going to be later than anticipated, and if she had to spend five more minutes on this rooftop, she was literally going to scream.

Besides, she could probably make it back to the rendezvous point _before_ her father ever showed up, _right_?

That didn't sound super realistic.

Deciding she had had enough of standing around doing _nothing_ , and before Nightfall could talk herself out of it, the girl pressed a finger to her ear.

"Uh, hello?"

 _"Nighty!"_ The familiar voice of Kid Flash chirped in her ear, quickly followed by a grunt and was that the sound of glass breaking? _"Did you change your mind?"_

The waterbender swallowed thickly.

There was no turning back now.

"Yeah, you better have saved some action for me!"

 _"Oh but of course!"_

And then she was off.

* * *

 **Word Count:** 9,099

 **Pages:** 24

 **A/N: Hey guys! It's me- your friendly, neighborhood, "I suck at maintaining a good updating schedule" author :' )**

 **Not particularly happy with this chapter... more specifically with the _ending_ of the chapter compared to the res... but I've been sitting on it for weeks and I just want to move on so I can get Nightfall onto the team and get you guys a chapter lol**

 **I promise the next chapters will be better... xP**

 **Hopefully this long chapter can appease you guys... it kind of got away from me in length lol**

 **I know I apologize for being a shitty updater in like every update I do, but I really am sorry. I love writing for you guys and I love reading your responses to what I've written, but as a full time college student, it's hard to balance 16 credits AND two stories AND job shadowing AND research projects AND volunteering AND planning a wedding AND life lol**

 **You guys are all AMAZING though and I appreciate each and every one of my readers. It's you guys that help keep my passion for writing alive and I can't thank you all enough for the support!**

 **Hopefully I'll have the next chapter of Falcon out soon-ish, and then another chapter of this story after! I have hopes to get to** ** _at least_** **Homefront (for this fic) by the end of the year... we'll see if that happens lol**

 **With love,**

 **SnowWolf22**


	6. Tsunami

**Young Justice is not mine.**

* * *

 **Tsunami**

 _"When the water starts boiling, it is foolish to turn off the heat."_

\- Nelson Mandela

* * *

 **BROOKLYN**

 _"Tell me again where you're going?"_

Nighttide's voice was tired and clipped, and Nightfall's eyes involuntarily rolled at the tone.

"To stop a bank robbery!"

 _"I told you to stay put."_

"But what if it's The Pyro's?" Nightfall slowed her run as she approached a gap in the rooftops. She glanced over the edge, estimating it to be about a six story drop. Her heart hammered in her chest and she took a few steps backwards before propelling herself forward, leaping over the gap and landing on the next rooftop in a roll.

 _"I don't want you facing them alone, Nightfall."_

The younger waterbender continued racing across the rooftops, cool wind whipping through her hair. She was about a block away from the bank now, and she hoped she wasn't too late to help.

"What if I told you I wasn't going to be facing them alone?" Nightfall questioned slowly, voice slightly strained as she took deep breaths.

There was an audible sigh on her father's end, _"Then who will be helping you?"_

The bank came into view, and the lights flashing in the front entry were the only signs something was wrong, as the alarms had been silenced. Nightfall paused as she stared at the bank, looking for her point of entry. She wasn't sure where the others had entered, but she assumed they didn't enter through the front entrance.

The younger waterbender reached up, pressing the comm in her ear, "Robin, Kid Flash, and Nightlight will be helping me."

 _Honesty was the best policy, right?_ Maybe if Nightfall was honest with her father she wouldn't get in as much trouble…

 _"Babe,"_ A voice that was definitely not her father's responded, " _We know we'll be helping you! But when will you be helping us? These guys are nuts!"_

Nightfall smacked her forehead with a groan, pressing her ear again to reply to Kid Flash, "Sorry… this whole _two_ comm thing is confusing."

 _"No worri- gahh!"_ The speedster was cut off by his own cry of pain, and Nightfall could only assume someone had caught him off guard.

Anxiousness bubbled up within the waterbender and she quickly shimmied down the nearest fire escape. The bank was- of course- across the street. Nightfall looked both ways before darting across the street and disappearing into a nearby alleyway.

 _"Nightfall."_ Her father's voice was firm, and the girl internally cringed. She forgot to respond back to Nighttide, _"Answer the question."_

"Sorry!" She squeaked quietly, voice soft as she pressed her back against the brick wall. One of the bank's- normally super secure- backdoors was kicked open, and Nightfall peered around to see if someone was guarding it, "Robin, Nightlight, and Kid Flash are with me."

Nighttide's response was fast, _"What are they doing here?"_

There was person standing near the entryway, a large flamethrower in hand, but they had their back turned towards Nightfall. She debated whether or not she had enough space to sneak in behind them and potentially take them out, but then they shifted and turned towards the door. Nightfall quickly ducked back behind the wall, hoping she had gone undetected.

She waited with bated breath, ignoring the sounds of her dad calling her name over the comm link, for a few moments before deciding she went unseen. However, that posed another issue for the waterbender.

If the man was now facing the doorway, she couldn't poke her head in to look, lest she risk being seen.

Nightfall glanced down, thinking about her predicament before she spotted a stray can. An idea popped into her head and she stepped back a bit more from the door before kicking the can. It skidded across the rocky surface, metallic clanking noise echoing in the alleyway.

A few seconds passed and nothing happened, which left Nightfall wondering whether or not her distraction had worked. She was about to give up hope and move onto a back up plan- not that she had one yet- when the tip of the man's weapon poked out from the doorframe.

The waterbender held her breath, crouching down behind a trashcan and the man stepped further out into the alleyway. The familiar headband of The Pyro's was wrapped around his forehead, the flame insignia almost glowing in the moonlight. A mask covered the lower half of his face, eyes dark as he cautiously entered the alleyway in full, flamethrower flicking side to side as he searched for the source of the disturbance.

Water curled around Nightfall's fist as the man turned towards her hiding spot. She stayed ducked down, blue eyes narrowed and focused on the Pyro and he began to turn away from her.

The waterbender made her move.

Lashing out with her water, it shot through the air before wrapping around the barrel of the flamethrower. The Pyro startled at the sudden water whip and cried out before turning towards Nightfall as she shot out from her hiding spot. Flames sprouted from the end of the flamethrower, licking the walls before being aimed at the waterbender. With a sharp tug of her hand, she yanked the weapon from the man's hands, and it crashed onto the ground of the alleyway, flames dissipating.

The Pyro made a move to activate his communication device to alert the other's in the building of her presence, but Nightfall reacted faster. She grabbed the water that was once wrapped around the flamethrower, repurposing it and launching it at the man. It collided harshly with his chest, knocking him into the bank and the waterbender quickly followed.

He laid on the ground, groaning slightly and before he could get up, Nightfall knocked him out.

She straightened up and looked around, finally acknowledging her father's shouting voice in her ear, "Sorry, but I don't know… they said they came to check up on me. And then the robbery happened and so now we're here." Nightfall began to make her way further into the bank. She could hear a scuffle going down, and began to follow her ears towards the source of the noise, "I know you said stay put, but they've never faced The Pyro's, so I'm going to help them."

Nightfall heard her father open his mouth to say something, but then he groaned. She could picture Nighttide pinching the bridge of his nose in annoyance, _"Be careful, Nightfall. I'm on my way."_

"Acknowledged. Nightfall out." Nightfall nodded, though she knew her father couldn't see. She hadn't expected him to relent so easily, but a calm reaction now didn't mean she wasn't going to be in hot water later.

The waterbender slipped into a hallway, noting the shards of glass from shattered office windows littering the floor. She reached up and pressed her other comm, hailing the other proteges, "Where are you guys at?"

 _"Main lobby,"_ It was Nightlight's voice, _"but it's just Kid Flash and me. Robin disappeared on us."_

 _"As usual."_ Kid Flash grumbled.

Nightfall rolled her eyes and did her best to make her way towards the lobby. She opened her mouth to respond, but then Robin's voice sounded over the comm, _"I'm at the main vault. They have hostages. Three security guards. They must've been the one's that tripped the alarms."_

"What's the game plan then?" Nightfall skidded to a halt and waited to hear what the plan was.

 _"We save the hostages and kick ass!"_

 _"She means a_ legit _plan, Kid."_ Nightfall could hear the eyeroll in Nightlight's tone.

Robin replied before Kid Flash could put up an argument, _"I could use your help down here, Nightlight. Your powers could come in handy for getting the hostages out safely."_

 _"Roger that,"_ Nightlight responded, _"I'll make my way to you and Nightfall can help Kid Flash."_

"On it!"

 _"Good. There may be a few- or five- fires for Nighty to help put out."_

Nightfall breathed out a laugh and took off, making her way down the hallway. It was dimly lit, and the girl hoped she was headed in the right direction. She didn't want to get lost and have to have the others come find her.

 _"Any words of advice on facing these guys, Nightfall?"_

"Not really," The girl admitted, "They can be unpredictable and they do not care about where their fire ends up. They're more than likely going to try and burn this bank to the ground."

 _"Tch. Don't have to tell me twice. Every time I put out a fire, a new one appears!"_ Kid Flash complained.

The lobby came into view, and Nightfall pushed through a door and darted in. Kid Flash was running in circles around a group of Pyro's, who had their backs to each other as they aimed their flamethrowers at the speedster.

And sure enough, there were a handful of fires dotting the lobby floor, and a few teller booths were also up in flames.

"Kid!" The waterbender called out, alerting the speedster to her presence.

Kid Flash looked over at Nightfall before speeding towards her, ducking underneath a plume of fire before sweeping the girl into his arms. He sped the two behind a teller booth that wasn't on fire, placing them out of sight of the Pyro's.

"Where'd they go?" One of the Pyro's questioned.

"Don't know, but we gotta find them or boss will have our heads."

Nightfall faced the speedster. "You're faring well." She commented lightly, noting some soot and scorch marks that littered Kid Flash's uniform.

"I repeat my earlier sentiment: these guys are _nuts_."

"Light this place up!" A Pyro ordered.

That wasn't a good thing.

The two shared a look before looking over their cover object, watching as The Pyro's lined up, flamethrowers aimed at the teller booths- the one Nightfall and Kid Flash were hiding behind included.

"And that's our cue to move."

Kid Flash picked Nightfall up once more, racing the two away from their hiding spot just as a wall of fire began to consume the teller booths. He sped them towards the opposite side of the room and deposited the waterbender in front of a water fountain before turning and racing towards an unsuspecting Pyro.

The speedster rammed into the man, knocking him to the ground and the flamethrower from his grasp. The wall of fire ceased before turning on Kid Flash, and he zipped around them as a fireball sailed his way.

Nightfall sank into the familiar position, drawing in a quick breath as she concentrated before throwing her arms forward. This move was slowly becoming a favorite move, and that just meant it got easier and easier each time she performed it.

The water fountain creaked and groaned as the water pressure built up behind it before it suddenly erupted, the water fountain itself being ripped from the wall as a spout of water burst forth from the pipes behind it. Nightfall twisted her arms and pulled the water in front of herself as a shield just as a flamethrower was turned on her.

The heat combining with the cool water caused a burst of steam to fill the area, giving the waterbender some cover as The Pyro's ceased fire. They searched the area and just as the steam dissipated, Nightfall sent a large wave careening towards the closest Pyro.

It collided with the Pyro, washing her up in the wave before Nightfall twisted the water around and sent the woman right smack into a wall. The Pyro fell limp and slumped to the ground, unconscious, before another Pyro slammed into the wall beside her, courtesy of Kid Flash.

Three more Pyro's took aim at the two heroes, opening fire on them and releasing a barrage of blistering flames. Kid Flash zipped away to avoid the fire, Nightfall raising up another water shield to deflect the flames as she dove to the side. The two ended up on either side of the room to each other, the three remaining Pyro's standing between them, each locked onto the heroes.

Nightfall's arms moved fluidly back and forth around herself, the water in her control bending and moving per her arms movements. It circled around her, creating a shield of water tentacles ready to deflect any fireball that came her way. Kid Flash stood at the ready across the way, knees bent in preparedness to race off.

"Nightfall," He called out, and the girl glanced at him, "Maneuver seven!" The speedster suddenly took off, grabbing a flamethrower from one of the Pyro's before tossing them to the ground, spinning around another as they took aim at Kid Flash.

"Maneuver what?"

"Seven! Gah… just- jump on my hands and I'll propel you upwards!" The speedster sped in front of Nightfall before turning towards the girl, hands clasped together and lowered down. The waterbender wasn't quite sure what Kid Flash was looking to do, but she listed to him regardless.

Darting forward, she held her arms out behind herself, the water trailing alongside her in two large streams. Once she approached Kid Flash, she leapt up, placing her feet in his hands before he propelled her upwards.

Nightfall was pushed into the air, the Pyro's eyes locked on the girl as they took aim at her. She moved her arms forward, extending them outwards and crossing them harshly. The water sped past the girl, shifting into large icicles and ensnaring two of the remaining Pyro's. They were pinned to the ground in the process, limbs confined and unable to move thanks to the entrapment of icicles.

One Pyro remained, eyes harsh and focused as they stared down the two young heroes, water pooled on the ground around them, as they had reacted fast enough to melt the incoming icicles. They lifted their flamethrower once more, ready to light Nightfall and Kid Flash up when a birdarang sailed into the room. It knocked into the man's head, and he slumped limply to the ground.

Nightfall glanced over as Robin and Nightlight ran into the room, the three hostages now free and running behind them. Kid Flash turned to his friends as the waterbender raised her hands up, lifting the water from the ground before directing it towards the fire.

"Did you just leave the other Pyro's down at the vault?" The speedster questioned his best friend as they neared.

"Trust me, they're going no where any time soon." Robin smirked, and Nightfall coaxed the water over the rest of the fire. It steamed and sizzled, slowly diminishing as the smoke began to lessen in the area.

Nightfall admired her handwork for a moment before turning towards the other proteges, eyes scanning over the damage the main lobby had taken, "For the record, Nighttide and I normally handle these things more stealthily."

Kid Flash shrugged, flashing the girl a lopsided grin, "Sorry babe, we're still working on the whole stealth thing."

"Kid Flash blew our cover before we could come up with a plan."

"Dude!" The speedster cried out and glared at Robin.

"Just spea-"

"Nightfall." A voice, clipped and firm, spoke. Said waterbender tensed, heart rate quickening as her stomach plummeted and goosebumps ran up her arms.

"H-hi dad…" Nightfall turned around slowly, greeting her father- who was flanked by a few cops- with a sheepish look. The cops immediately began to round up all the Pyro's, a few cops disappearing deeper into the bank and heading towards the vault. The three security guards were ushered out, a few medical personnel checking them over as they left.

Nighttide's face was rather stoic, but the girl could see relief swirling around in her father's brown eyes. He glanced around at the damage, noting the scorched walls and floors, as well as the water that was pooling on the floor, the source being the damaged water fountain Nightfall had decimated. With a sharp flick of his wrist, the water at the end of the pipe suddenly froze, water no longer flowing outwards.

"The bank's not going to be happy with all this damage."

Nightfall hung her head, "I-"

"That's not her fault, sir," Kid Flash spoke up, sharing a look with Nightlight as he rubbed the back of his neck, "I kind of blew our cover."

Nighttide turned his sharp gaze towards the speedster, who flinched back and dropped his arm. He stared Kid Flash down for a few seconds before a soft laugh escaped his lips as he shook his head, "Why's it always the speedsters that blow cover?"

Nightfall's head snapped up in confusion and Robin cackled, Kid Flash looking slightly offended as he cried out, "Wh- hey!" Nightlight's arms were crossed as she smiled softly.

"Did you just-" Nightfall blinked and stared at her father, "make a joke? You never joke in the field."

Nighttide brushed off his daughter's confusion and carried on like he hadn't just made fun of the speedster's, "That's besides the point. What we do need to discuss is, what happens next?"

The older waterbender folded his arms and stared down at his daughter. She had averted her eyes once more, gazing at the floor beneath her feet and Nighttide sighed heavily. A range of emotions and thoughts were dancing around in his mind.

A part of him wanted to scream and yell at Nightfall. Scold her and ground her for eternity for the stunt she had pulled. Even though he- admit ably- was grateful she had been upfront and honest about where she was off to, the moment she had said bank robbery and The Pyro's within sentences of each other, Nighttide had felt his heart lurch and stomach plummet. The last thing he wanted was for Nightfall to face the fire-obsessed gang alone.

Nighttide would be lying if he said he didn't feel some semblance of relief when Nightfall mentioned she'd be working alongside Robin, Kid Flash and Nightlight. He was still unsure as to why the three young heroes were in Brooklyn and why they had sought out Nightfall, but the three of them being there had been one of the primary reasons as to why he hadn't fought his daughter more on not trying to stop a bank robbery lead by The Pyro's.

That and Nightfall was just as stubborn as he was. So Nighttide knew, had he been more firm with her, she probably wouldn't have listened to him anyways.

The older waterbender was struggling with how to handle the current situation laid out before him. Nightfall- and the others- did manage to stop The Pryo's from robbing (and then burning) the bank, but his daughter did disobey orders. He was at a crossroads. Nighttide knew his daughter well enough to know that as soon as he began to praise her for the work she helped accomplish tonight, he'd be barraged by questions pertaining to the team and whether or not she was allowed to join it.

It also didn't help that half of the current team were standing before him as well.

"So?" Nightfall prodded when her father didn't say anything more, "What does happen next?"

Nighttide shook his head, running a hand through his disheveled- and sooty- locks. He glanced around the main lobby of the bank, watching as various cops scurried around the damaged bank as they took care of the remaining Pyro's.

"That's something we'll have to discuss later." He breathed out and turned back towards his daughter. Her hopeful expression fell slightly before she nodded her head.

"O-okay."

"For the time being," Nighttide started and Nightfall glanced back up at him as he placed a hand on her shoulder, "You did good," His eyes shifted over to the other three proteges, "all of you. I appreciate the help."

"But?" Robin was quick to respond, brow quirked and arms crossed.

Nighttide glanced over at the boy wonder, who didn't seem fazed to have the annoyed look of a Leaguer focused on him, "But?"

It was Kid Flash that spoke up next, Nightlight remaining silent as she analyzed the situation beside him, "Yeah, here's usually a but with you guys."

Nightfall looked from her father to her new friends, silently pleading with them to shut up. The fact Nighttide had complimented them and not immediately scolded them was a good thing. And the younger waterbender didn't like that they were egging him on.

Just take the compliment and leave.

Was what she wanted to scream at them, but Nightfall held her tongue as her father looked contemplative.

"But," Nighttide spoke after a few seconds, not denying the speedster's accusation, "I'd appreciate it if you would leave Nightfall alone in the future. I've already stated that she will not be joining the team." His voice hardened as his brown eyes narrowed into a glare, "Failure to adhere to my word and I will not hesitate to get your mentors involved. Understood?"

Kid Flash flinched back at the Leaguer's words, Robin and Nightlight both doing their best to look unfazed. They shared a look with each other, the three of them then flashing Nightfall an apologetic look. The girl missed it, however, as her eyes were downcast, focused on the floor beneath her feet.

Her face was heated- either in embarrassment or anger, she couldn't tell- and she did her best to swallow any emotion she was currently feeling. She wanted to cry and die all at the same time.

"Understood." Robin, Nightlight, and Kid Flash chorused together.

"Good." Nighttide nodded, "You three should head out before your mentors come looking for you."

Nightfall glanced up as Kid Flash rubbed the back of his neck, "Uh, later, Nightfall." The speedster paused, casting a quick glance at Nightfall before returning his gaze to the younger waterbender, "It was nice working with you."

"Yeah, you too." She muttered sadly, glaze flickering upwards for a moment as she watched the three turn to walk away. Nightlight gave the girl a curt nod, Robin waving and together, along with Kid Flash, they departed from the bank.

A part of Nightfall was prepared to turn on her father, ask him what the heck all that was, but once Nighttide placed a hand on her shoulder and she glanced up at him, Nightfall instantly deflated once more. Angry and embarrassed tears sprouted in the corners of her eyes, but the girl forced them back. There was no way she was going to cry in the middle of the bank.

Surrounded by cops and gang members.

And some reporters.

With her father standing beside her.

That would just scream 'I'm an amazing hero'.

"Let's go."

* * *

 **FLASHBACK**

 _Koda and Kayanna stepped through the threshold between the basement stairs and the kitchen, silence settled over the two like a blanket. They had just returned from patrol, and the younger waterbender was slightly irked. Patrol had gone fine, and her father had even let her partake more when it came to taking down some of the bad guys, but when they returned back home, the mood had soured._

 _Kayanna had dared to ask about the team one more, hoping that maybe Koda would relent and let her join it. After all, she had proven- on more than one occasion- that she worked well alongside them._

 _Koda has shaken his head and groaned as soon as the question had left her mouth, and a wave of annoyance had washed over him. He immediately told her no, but Kayanna being the stubborn person she was, just had to argue._

 _Her father didn't take to kindly to that, not that he ever did in the first place._

 _Luckily it hadn't escalated too much, Koda putting an end to the conversation as soon as he could. He didn't like arguing with his daughter, but unfortunately for him, Kayanna was the argumentative type._

 _But then again, so was he._

 _The two entered into the kitchen and froze._

 _"Mom?" Koda quirked a brow, voice confused._

 _An elderly woman turned around, a pleasant smile on her face as her dark eyes twinkled. She cradled a cup of coffee in her hands and greeted the two, "Good morning, you two."_

 _Kayanna perked up, "Grandma!" and darted towards the woman. She threw her arms around her, her grandmother returning the gesture with a soft laugh._

 _Koda was a bit more apprehensive as he eyed his mom, "It's three in the morning, mom, what are you doing here?" The woman grinned mischievously._

 _"Time is but a fickle thing."_

 _Anyu Tatkret was the mother of Koda Sanders. A waterbender herself, she had been a member of the Justice Society of America and the All-Star Squadron back in her heyday, operating under the guise of Cascade. And at the ripe old age of ninety, she was still rather spry and always carried an air of mischievousness wherever she went._

 _"I don't have time for your riddles." Koda shook his head._

 _Anyu's smile brightened, unfazed by her son's annoyance as she watched him grab a glass of water, "I came to have a chat." She revealed slowly, watching Koda's reaction._

 _"About?" He prodded._

 _The eldest waterbender ran her hand lovingly through Kayanna's hand, offering her granddaughter a caring smile, "Why don't you head off to bed, Kayanna? So your father and I can talk."_

 _Kayanna glanced between her grandmother and father with confused eyes, but agreed nonetheless. As argumentative as she could be, Anyu could out-argue her any day of the week, "Okay, night grandma." She placed a quick kiss on Anyu's cheek before saying goodnight to Koda and disappearing upstairs._

 _Koda watched his daughter leave before turning his brown eyes towards his mother, "This couldn't have waited until morning?"_

 _Anyu brushed him off, "Technically, it is morning."_

 _There was a heavy sigh, "Mom, please."_

 _"Oh, fine." The elderly woman spoke with an eye roll, "It's about Kayanna."_

 _"What about her?"_

 _Anyu turned her critical eyes towards Koda, the moonlight glinting in her dark hues, "Diana mentioned the Justice League has formed a team of young heroes, and that Kayanna wasn't on that team."_

 _Koda sighed and dragged a hand down his exhausted face, "This is what you wanted to talk about at three in the morning? I didn't realize you and Diana still talked heroics."_

 _"You forget I met most of the young team at Kent's funeral last week. I was bound to learn about them at some point."_

 _That was true, Koda had forgotten about the recent funeral. Kent and Anyu had once fought side-by-side with each other way back in the day. Three generations of heroes were in attendance at the old magician's funeral; the JSA, the JLA, and then the team._

 _The old members of the JSA- or what was left of them at least- had gathered together to honor their fallen comrade. Besides for Diana and Red Tornado, who were current Justice League members, Ted, Jay, and Anyu were all that remained of the JSA._

 _"Right, I forgot the team were in attendance," Koda nodded. He had even allowed Kayanna to attend the funeral, "but I'm not having this conversation with you, mom. I'm not letting Kayanna join the team."_

 _"And why not?" Anyu was quick to ask, having expected her son's response._

 _"Because she doesn't need the team. I can teach her all she needs to know about being a hero, and keep her safe in the process." Koda countered._

 _It was Anyu's turn to sigh, voice soft as she responded, "And I don't doubt that, Koda, but you can only teach her so much. With the team she'll be surrounded by kids who are just like her and can relate to her experiences, and teach her things you just can't. If it wasn't for the Justice Society, I wouldn't be the woman that I am today. They've taught me so much, and I'm sure you can relate with the Justice League."_

 _Koda's eyes squeezed shut, fingers clenching and unclenching while his mother watched him with a calculated gaze, "She's not ready!" He finally burst._

 _The elderly waterbender reached forward, unfazed by his outburst, and placed her hand over Koda's own. He tensed slightly at the touch, but didn't pull away, "Is she not ready, or are you not ready?"_

 _Koda's eyes flashed darkly, hardening into a glare aimed at his mother before they suddenly softened and he shook his head, "What if something happens to her on a mission and I'm not there to help?" His voice was soft when he spoke, and Anyu had to strain her ears to listen. It wasn't often she say this side of her son, as he often withheld his feelings so as to not look weak, "If she gets hurt an-"_

 _"That's what the team is for, Koda." Anyu replied delicately, "Kayanna's not going into this alone; she'll be accompanied by kids her age, each with unique abilities like herself. You know she needs this, it'll be good for her."_

 _"But what if she stops needing me?" Koda glanced up at his mother, and Anyu was startled by the amount of vulnerability swimming about in his eyes. It was as if the wall surrounding his deepest emotions and thoughts had shattered, and now he was exceptionally vulnerable._

 _"Oh, Koda." The elderly waterbender leaned forward, hand moving from Koda's own to his shoulder, where she gave it a soft squeeze, "Kayanna will always need you. You're her father. The team isn't your replacement; they're to fill in the gaps where you cannot."_

 _"I still have so much to teach her."_

 _Anyu exhaled heavily, "And I'm not saying you can't keep teaching her, I'm just saying the team can benefit her greatly."_

 _"I know, I know," Koda relented with a shake of his head. A silence settled upon the duo as he digested his mother's words, brown eyes flickering towards the window to stare at the moon. A few moments passed by, and just as Anya opened her mouth to speak, Koda turned his attention to her, "I'll think about it."_

* * *

 **PRESENT TIME**

 **GOTHAM CITY**

Kayanna slammed the bathroom door shut, her recently changed out of costume bundled up in a messy ball within her grasp. Her blue eyes were dark, coarse with anger as she stomped towards the laundry. Koda watched from the corner of his eye as his daughter tossed her dirty costume into the hamper and turned on her heel to storm up the stairs.

She made it up exactly two steps before her father called out to her. Kayanna groaned but stopped nonetheless, facing Koda with an annoyed look, "What?"

"Our conversation isn't over," The older waterbender stood up from the chair he was sitting on, his high-tech prosthetic leg used for heroics in hand, his normal one back in place on his leg. He placed it back within its special container and Kayanna walked back down the stairs with an eyeroll.

Annoyance coursed through her veins as anger settled over her. She crossed her arms defiantly and settled her firm gaze on her father, "I get it. I'm grounded. Do we really need to have this conversation?"

Kayanna really didn't want to have this conversation with her father again. After all he had said and done at the bank- which included embarrassing her in front of the other proteges- she just wanted to jump into bed and sleep the night away. There was no way this conversation wasn't going to escalate into an argument, and the young waterbender was really in no mood for that.

Koda sighed and gestured to an empty seat as he sat down across from it, "Just sit, Kayanna."

His daughter eyed him curiously for a second, a part of her tempted to ignore Koda's wishes and instead keep standing where she was. When he gestured towards the empty seat once more, however, Kayanna relented and sat down. She spared her father a quick glance before diverting her gaze towards her lap.

"Let's talk about what happened tonight, shall we?" Koda didn't both beating around the bush, not allowing the silence between the two to linger any longer.

"Do we have to?"

The older waterbender chuckled lightly as Kayanna levelled him with a pleading gaze. It shifted into mild confusion at his reaction and Koda shook his head, "Look, Kayanna, I'm not happy with tonight's turn of events. You really scared me."

Kayanna rubbed her arm, "I didn't mean to," She voiced softly.

Koda ran a hand through his disheveled locks, "I know," He acknowledged quietly, pausing briefly as he pondered over his next words carefully, "and I appreciate you being honest with me about where you were going, but if you're going to join the team, Kayanna, you cannot pull these kinds of stunts, understand?"

Koda ended his sentence on a firmer note, but his eyes were lighthearted and laced with amusement as he trained them on his daughter, waiting for her to digest his words.

"But they nee-" The younger waterbender attempted a counterargument, but her words suddenly caught in her throat, voice trailing off as realization coupled with confusion washed over her, " _Wait_ \- what?"

"You heard me," Koda's fingers thrummed gently against the surface of the table before them, "If you join the team, you explicitly listen to orders. No ifs, ands, or buts."

"Are you-" Kayanna leaned forward, hands gripping the table as excitement bubbled up within her, "-saying what I think you're saying?"

The older waterbender swallowed thickly, nodding his head slowly. He hadn't actually said the words 'you can join the team' aloud- to himself or anyone- and now that the moment had come, he was finding that the words kept getting stuck in his throat. His daughter kept staring at him expectantly, her mood having done a complete three-sixty as she waited for Koda's response.

Finally, after a few agonizing moments of silence, Koda spoke, "Yes, but-" He was quick to cut the young waterbender off as she practically bounced in her seat, "you follow orders and listen to Aqualad, who the team has elected as leader."

"Of course!" Kayanna chirped eagerly and Koda rolled his eyes.

"If I feel you are not taking this responsibility seriously, or if you start slacking in school, I _will_ remove you from the team. Understood?"

The young waterbender nodded her head vigorously, agreeing without a question, "Completely!"

Koda couldn't help but smile as his daughter jumped up from her seat, a large smile on her own face, "Well, _Nightfall_ ," He started, "I guess you're joining the team." The older waterbender finally spoke the words.

Kayanna could only respond with an excited squeal as she flung herself into her father's arms, a flurry of 'thank yous' escaping her lips. Koda chuckled as he wrapped his arms around his daughter. However, he couldn't help the doubt that nipped a the back of his mind.

 _Is this the right decision?_

* * *

 **MOUNT JUSTICE**

 **Four days later...**

 _"Recognized: Nighttide: Zero-Four. Nightfall: B-Zero-Nine."_

The zeta beam hummed to life, bright light emanating from within. It died down, revealing the two waterbenders. Nightfall buzzed with excitement, a shy smile on her face as seven sets of eyes snapped in their direction. She shriveled up slightly at the sudden attention, but her father nudged her forward, a comforting hand placed upon her shoulder.

Nightfall recognized seven of the eight figures, a girl with long, blonde hair decked out in green being the only one she didn't recognize. The familiar faces of the proteges she fought alongside at Cadmus smiled her way, and the young waterbender waved at them.

 _It was finally happening._

"Nightfall," Batman stepped forward, "welcome to the team."

* * *

 **A/N: Aight well early chapter is early lmao... and I mean, maybe not early, early... but I was gonna work on Falcon next and then this chapter happened instead xD**

 **I had ideas and I didn't want to lose them, you know? And honestly, the next chapter may be fast-ish because it's been in the works for like two years lol I was gonna write a one-shot with the next chapter but then I forgot about it so it's sat in my files for a while ^^;**

 **Words:** 5,944

 **Pages:** 14

 **Anyways, ya'll are great and I appreciate each and every one of you so much!**

 **Keep leaving those reviews .3.**

 **-SnowWolf**

 **P.s. was gonna make a cover pic with Nightfall and probs Kid Flash but then my art computer pooped out on me :c**


	7. Bereft

**Young Justice is not mine.**

* * *

 **Bereft**

" _All water has a perfect memory and is forever trying to get back to where it was."_

\- Toni Morrison

* * *

The pain within her skull was unbearable. It felt as if someone had taken a meat cleaver and tried to bash her head in. _Repeatedly_. It was to the point that just _thinking_ hurt her head. The pounding wouldn't cease, wreaking havoc on her mind and Kayanna shifted. Pain flared up in her front temple and her eyes squeezed shut even more. With a soft groan she rolled over onto her stomach and propped herself up on her hands, the loose sand slipping through her fingers.

Wait.

 _Sand?!_

Blue eyes snapping open, Kayanna immediately flinched at the sudden light that entered her vision. It blurred for a second, and when it finally cleared, her eyes settled on the light, grainy substance residing beneath her hands. The young waterbender frowned, pushing herself back into a squat and doing her best to push the pain in her head away.

Reaching out, she fingered the sand, letting it slip through her fingers as her mind attempted to process just _what_ was happening. Her gaze shifted from the sand to her hands, and she startled once more as she noted the fingerless glove, made out of a soft material, was on her hand.

Kayanna shot up to her feet, regretting the action almost immediately and she doubled over. A wave of nausea washed over her, and the young waterbender squeezed her eyes shut, focusing on pushing the nauseous sensation away. After a few moments- during which she _almost_ vomited- Kayanna eventually felt more at ease, though the dull throbbing in the back of her head was still there.

Standing up straight and ignoring the sun, Kayanna held her arms out. Her eyes scanned over the fabric that covered her hands. Both her hands were covered in thick, black fingerless gloves, and they went all the way up her arms, stopping mid-bicep on each side. Adorning each of her wrists were what looked like gauntlets or wrist guards.

Glancing down, the waterbender noted the _rest_ of her ensemble was just as weird. It was vaguely reminiscent of Nighttide's hero suit, half-moon insignia and all. But she didn't recognize it, nor did she understand _why_ she was wearing it. The outfit vaguely looked like sketches she had made of her own hero suit, but her father had yet to agree to her being a hero, so she didn't understand _why_ she was wearing this. It just left her feeling confused.

Though confused could be an _understatement_.

Kayanna finally addressed the vast desert laid out before her, the sweltering heat wrapping around her like a blanket. Coupled with _whatever the heck_ she was wearing, the young waterbender had _no_ idea as to what was going on, or where she was.

She _definitely_ wasn't whelmed.

…. _whelmed_? What kind of word was _that_?

Kayanna crinkled her nose and held a hand up to her head. Hopefully this was all some _bad dream_ and she'd wake up any minute now, curled up in bed with her cat just waiting for her alarm to go off for school. She sucked in a deep breath before dropping her hand from her head and reaching over. Doing a quick count to three, the waterbender squeezed her eyes shut and pinched herself.

When she opened her eyes again, instead of seeing the deep blue of her bedroom walls, she still only saw _sand_ \- and it went on for _miles_.

A soft, warm breeze blew through the desert, eliciting a slight shiver from Kayanna at the contact. She brought her arms up, curling them around herself in a comforting manner. A wave of panic began to bubble up within the girl, and she tried to push it down and hide it. This was evidently _not_ a dream, and she was in fact _lost_ in a desert with no recollection whatsoever of _how_ she got here or even _why_ she was here in the first place.

The last thing she could soundly remember was having dinner with her family.

And this was _obviously_ not that.

 _Perfect._

Tears welled up in the corners of her eyes as she scanned the desert once more for any sign of life. When she still found none, she chewed her lower lip, doing her best to hold back the tears. The young waterbender shook her head as she stumbled forward, legs wobbling slightly in the sand. It wasn't going to do Kayanna any good to just stay in one place and _cry_.

 _Nighttide_ would tell her to keep moving, see if she could find someone- _anyone_ \- and get the hell out of here.

Swallowing thickly and pushing back the tears so Kayanna didn't have a mental breakdown, she began to trek on. She ran a gloved hand through her messy hair, loose sand falling out of her hair and she headed off in a random direction, hoping to find a familiar face.

* * *

Kayanna suddenly found herself flying forward from an unknown force, a loud _boom_ sounding from behind her. She landed harshly on the sandy ground, face first, before she scrambled to roll over.

A crater had formed behind her, sand and dust lingering in the air from the impact, and Kayanna crawled towards it hesitantly. Curiosity had gotten the better of her, and just as she approached the edge, the debris cleared and she found herself face to face with _incredibly_ angry blue eyes.

A young teen stood in the crater, shirtless and seething. His blue eyes were wild, and Kayanna slinked back as they locked onto her.

With a feral growl, the teen leapt at the girl. Kayanna yelped before diving to the side. He landed in the sand where she once was, and the waterbender tried to scramble away. The teen snagged her foot before she could get out of his reach, and he tossed her harshly to the side.

Out of reflex Kayanna angled herself, shifting her body and twisting so she landed on her feet. She skidded back in the sand, hand grabbing at the ground to steady herself. Fear flashed in her eyes as the teen turned on her once more.

He leapt at her once more, growling harshly and Kayanna snapped her arm at him. Water sailed out of her water pouch, coiling up into a whip that she used to smack him away. The teen rolled in the sand a few feet, righting himself and leveling a dangerous glare at the waterbender.

Kayanna gulped, and her hand snapped up to her comm. It hadn't worked earlier when she tried to use it, but maybe, just maybe, it would work this time. The feral teen made a move to attack once more, and she activated her comm.

Immediately static filled her ear, but it shifted into a high-pitch screeching noise and Kayanna tore it from her ear. Her eardrum throbbed in pain from the sudden high-pitched noise, and when the girl glanced over at her assailant, she was shocked to see him clutching his ears.

Kayanna could still hear the high-pitch noise ringing in the air, though she didn't understand how the teen could hear it so far away. An idea formed in her mind, however, and she chucked her comm towards the enraged teen.

He reeled back from the device as it landed at his feet, and Kayanna watched as he suddenly bounded away. She held her breath as she waited for him to turn around and attack her once more, but when he didn't return, she released her breath.

Kayanna fell to her knees, head dropping into her hands as her body shook. No tears were falling, but her body was still on high alert from the attack, fear and adrenaline coursing through her veins.

Something about her assailant seemed oh so familiar, and it awoke a great amount of terror within her.

It was if he had _attacked_ her before.

* * *

After what felt like _hours_ of walking, Kayanna was still feeling as hopeless as ever- even more so after having been attacked. Outside of whoever had attacked her, all she had seen on her trek so far was sand, sand, and _more_ sand, coupled with the occasional outcrop of rocks (and a spider, but we don't talk about that). No signs of civilization _anywhere_.

It also meant she hadn't _seen_ the boy from earlier, which was a good thing.

Sweat trickled down the waterbender's forehead and her face felt like it was on fire. She had peeled the stupid mask thing that was on her face off a little while ago- which may not have been the smartest idea- but with how sweaty she was, it stuck to her skin weird and she didn't like it.

The situation she was in seemed grim all around, but it definitely wasn't helped by the fact that her comm- the _only_ connection she had had to Nighttide- was lost in the sandy desert forever.

To make matters worse, she was thirsty as hell. Kayanna had checked the water pouch resting on her hip a little bit ago in hopes of finding _some_ water, but it was completely dry after having used it to save herself earlier, and no matter how many times she checked it, no water ever magically appeared. And with this being a _desert_ she was stuck in, there wasn't much- if any- water around either.

Kayanna sucked her cheek, left arm rubbing her right as she continued to move forward. She wasn't even sure she was going in the right direction, but at some point she was bound to find the end of the desert, _right_?

Deciding on a quick break, the waterbender made her way towards a nearby outcrop of rocks and quickly shielded herself in the shade. It was only a few degrees cooler, but in the desert, a that few degrees difference felt _great_.

A humming sound started in the distance and Kayanna glanced up, shielding her blue eyes as she squinted into the sun. From over the hill of sand she noticed a small sand cloud moving her way and growing bigger.

Hope bubbled up within her chest at the thought of a potential rescue, but as the sand cloud grew closer, her hope diminished as it was replaced with an _off_ feeling. Something in her gut was telling her to hide, to get out of sight and sit still. The feeling was overwhelming, so Kayanna did just that and darted behind the rocks she had been leaning on.

Kayanna peered out slightly as the sound of engines grew closer, eyeing the beige vehicles as they sped into view. She took note of the men seated in the vehicles. They were decked out in some sort of military gear, bearing an insignia that meant nothing to the girl, as she didn't recognize it.

What did stick out, however, were the large _guns_ the soldiers were brandishing. An uneasy feeling settled in the pit of her stomach, and the waterbender _knew_ she had to get out of there.

Kayanna pulled her head back, disappearing from view and slinking deeper into the outcrop of rocks, doing her best to stay low and hidden. The truck rumbled by, the men seemingly oblivious to her location. Letting out a breath she didn't even realize she was holding, the waterbender ran a shaky hand through her hair.

Heat hammering in her chest as anxiety kept building up within her, Kayanna slid down one of the rocks, back leaning against it as she sat in the sandy ground. She was _so close_ to having a panic attack and mental breakdown.

"Those were Bialyan Republican Army Uniforms."

 _A voice!_

Kayanna immediately perked up, blue eyes widening and she jumped to her feet. Hope swept through her body and she poked her head out from behind the rock once more. Once she ensured the coast was clear, she darted out and into a small alcove, hidden on both sides by tall rocks.

The clearing was empty, however, and the waterbender frowned. She could've sworn the voice came from here.

"What are Bialyanns doing in… _Bialya_?!" The voice cried out again, this time sounding rather shocked and confused. It answered one of Kayanna's questions- the _where_ question to be more precise- but it didn't explain _why_ she was here, "Okay, better question… what am _I_ doing in Bialya? In… _September_?! What happened to _March_?"

Kayanna's mouth dropped open slightly in shock, confusion dancing about in her mind.

Just _what_ was going on here?

"Better radio Batman."

 _Batman?_ The waterbender's nose crinkled in confusion. _What did this whole thing have to do with_ Batman _?_

And did that mean…

"Uh, _hello_?" Kayanna called out. She looked up, shielding her eyes once more from the sun as she struggled to make out the source of the voice. If this person was looking for Batman, it could only mean one thing… "Robin?"

"Who are you?"

The voice suddenly sounded from behind her, and Kayanna whirled around, heart nearly leaping out of her throat. It pounded in her ears, the boy wonder standing before the girl cautiously. His body was tensed up, poised and ready for attack if need be.

"I-I'm Kayanna!" The waterbender stuttered out, arms held up to show she meant no harm.

Robin's masked eyes widened in shock, but he quickly masked the emotion and settled a neutral expression on his face. His shock was still at play inwards, however, as he eyed the girl before him. Kayanna was a close friend of his from school, and even though he knew her father- Nighttide- was a hero, as far as he could recall, she _wasn't_.

So what was she doing here? And dressed like a _hero_?

"It's not very smart to use your _actual_ name as your hero name." Robin spoke after a brief pause.

Kayanna lifted her arm and rubbed the back of her neck, face looking slightly sheepish, "Well, uh… I'm not a hero? Erm… at least, I don't think I am?"

"You're dressed like one."

"Yeah, I can't explain that."

Robin smirked slightly, "Memory loss?"

"Apparently six months' worth," She replied with a shrug.

Under normal circumstances, Kayanna would be more cautious when meeting a random person in the middle of a desert in a completely different country, but this was _Robin_ , and there was just something about him that caused her to be more relaxed about the whole situation at hand. She wasn't saying she still wasn't _concerned_ about the predicament they were in, but she wasn't alone anymore. Robin would help get her out of here.

The two maintained eye contact for a few seconds before Robin's chin lifted slightly, gaze shifting to over Kayanna's shoulder. The waterbender followed his gaze. Turning around, her eyes fell upon the object of Robin's interest. A piece of dark fabric was caught on a rock. Sparing the boy wonder another glance, she walked forward, hesitantly reaching out to grab the fabric.

"What is it?" Robin voiced, suddenly behind the girl.

Kayanna flipped the fabric over, eyes widening, "It's-it's Superman's shield," Her voice was soft when she spoke and she held the fabric out to the boy wonder.

Robin frowned, "Superman doesn't wear black."

Kayanna felt a pang of fear run up her spine as she stared at the fabric.

* * *

A part of Kayanna was starting to wonder if she was going to be _sane_ by the time she got out of this mess. At first, traveling with the boy wonder had been delightful. The two had taken turns playing something akin to twenty questions, and the waterbender found it easy enough to talk to him. Though she was _slightly_ upset he wouldn't reveal his secret ID to her- he had this _air of familiarity_ to him, and Kayanna _really_ wanted to know who he was.

Once the questions had run out, however, a silence that shouldn't have been awkward settled over the duo. Maybe it was the tension from the fact the two still had _no idea_ as to how they got in the situation they were in, or maybe it was something else- Kayanna really didn't know- but their trek had turned rather uncomfortable. She just wanted this walk to _whatever_ Robin had marked on his GPS to be _over_.

"If dislike is the opposite of like…" Kayanna glanced up, turning her attention towards the boy wonder. His face was furrowed up slightly, lips curled downwards and the waterbender couldn't help but think how _cute_ he looked, "does that make _disaster_ the opposite of _aster_?"

Kayanna quirked a brow and Robin faced her, "Is this what you normally think about in situations like this?"

"Well, no," Robin admitted, "but you see, instead of things going _wrong_ , they go right."

"Then we are _definitely_ not feeling the aster right now."

"You could say that again."

* * *

Night had fallen by the time Robin and Kayanna reached the marker on the boy wonder's GPS. The moon hung high up in the sky, basking the deserted wasteland below in dim light. The moon comforted Kayanna slightly, but the darkness had also brought with it a slight chill, as the temperature had dropped drastically.

"Now why did I place a GPS marker here?" Robin was focused on his holo-computer, and Kayanna glanced over at him.

"Is that a rhetorical question?"

Robin opened his mouth to respond, but then his eyes settled on something in the distance. Without another word, he grabbed the waterbender by the arm and pulled the two behind a nearby sand dune. Kayanna wanted to ask him what was going on, but he put a finger to his lips.

Peering out, his masked gaze narrowed, "Heh, guessing that's why."

"What is _that_?" Kayanna questioned and poked her head out to glance at the weird box-like thing sitting in the middle of the clearing. Robin immediately pulled her back down, pulling the girl to his chest in the process. When they landed back on the ground, she was practically laying on his chest.

Robin shifted away from Kayanna, coughing awkwardly before muttering, "Stay down." The waterbender wasn't able to question him, as he suddenly disappeared over the hill, so she was now alone hidden behind the sand dune.

A commotion started up, voices speaking in a language Kayanna didn't know and she whirled around, peering over the sand dune. Her eyes widened. Robin was surrounded by a handful of soldiers- who were decked out in the same garb as the ones she saw earlier were.

The boy wonder didn't look phased, however. He was poised, face stoic as if he had been expecting this. The soldiers had their guns trained on Robin, and before they fired on him, he dropped a smoke bomb.

Immediately the area filled with smoke, the Bialyan soldiers shouting and spinning around in confusion as they searched for Robin. The boy wonder had leapt into action, and amongst the smoke and cover, Kayanna could only make out flashes of him, his cape fluttering as he leapt from soldier to soldier.

Kayanna wanted to join in the battle and help Robin, but where her mind was screaming at her to help, her body just didn't want to move. Her water sources were drastically depleted, and without them, she was rendered almost completely useless. Her father had taught her some combat techniques to utilize when she _didn't_ have water, but it was all relatively new training to her.

And when she did use the techniques, they were against her father, not soldiers from a different country, whom all had _large_ guns.

A sudden blur zipped through the area, the soldier's guns disappearing. They looked around in confusion, Kayanna doing the same, until the blur came to a halt. Kid Flash grinned broadly, dropping the guns in a pile away from the soldiers before darting back into battle.

A soldier attempted to sneak up on Robin, and just as Kayanna leapt out of her hiding spot to warn him, the soldier was suddenly lifted into the air and tossed harshly to the side. The waterbender paused her movement, staring in shock at the place the soldier once was.

One soldier remained, and upon realizing his comrades had all been taken out, he attempted to retreat. Before he could get too far, however, an arrow shot out. It collided with the soldier, erupting into a net trap before sending him crashing into the ground. Kayanna turned from the now downed soldier and towards the source: a female archer standing on top of a hill.

She started to make her descent, Kid Flash running up to greet Robin, "KF! Man, it's good to see a familiar face!"

"Hey, Rob," The two exchanged a handshake, and Kayanna slowly made her way towards the group. Kid Flash's eyes settled on the girl, a suave smirk suddenly replacing his friendly smile, "Looks like you picked up quite a _cutie_ ," He winked at her, emerald orbs glinting in the moonlight and the waterbender blinked, a burst of red quickly coloring her cheeks, "Name's _Kid Flash_. You've probably seen me on TV, saving the day and stuff. No big deal." The speedster gloated.

Robin bristled at the comment and Kayanna blinked, mind freezing up at the flirting. After a few seconds pause, she spoke the first words that came to mind, "But Kid Flash doesn't _wear_ black?"

Kid Flash opened his mouth to retort, but the female archer cut in, "That's what _I_ said!"

"Ladies, _please_ ," The speedster held his arms up, preparing a defense of himself, "I-"

Robin harshly nudged the speedster to the side, placing himself firmly between Kid Flash and Kayanna. He flashed his friend an annoyed look, "Let's just hogtie these creeps and compare _notes_."

* * *

Comparing notes didn't take too long, and Kayanna found that even with input from the new faces she had no memory of- which included archery girl and a green girl- she still felt as lost and confused as ever.

"So, we're a _team_?" Robin asked.

Kayanna was in disbelief. If she was here, that would mean she was _a part_ of the team, but there was no way her father would ever allow something like that. Especially since, as far as she could remember, she _wasn't_ a hero.

"The five of us and Superboy." The green skinned girl- who introduced herself as Miss Martian- confirmed.

Robin shared a look with Kayanna before pulling out the fabric they had found earlier, "Then this must belong to him."

"Yes!" Miss Martian exclaimed, grabbing the material, "Did you see him?"

Kid Flash shared a look with the blonde archer, who had shortly introduced herself as Artemis, "I think we saw him." She admitted.

"Feral boy?" The speedster scoffed, crossing his arms, "Some _teammate_! He attacked us!"

Kayanna glanced between her supposed _teammates_ , rubbing her hands together before piping up quietly, "H-he attacked me to." She wasn't sure if it really _was_ the same person, but it seemed like a safe bet.

All eyes snapped to the waterbender, and Robin stepped towards her, a concerned expression on his face, "You didn't tell me that earlier."

She shrugged, "I didn't know what to say."

Kid Flash made a wild gesture, "I reiterate: _some teammate_! Who just _attacks_ their teammates like that?"

"He didn't know who we are," Artemis rolled her eyes, " _I_ don't know who we are!" The archer threw up her arms, flashing the speedster an annoyed look.

Though Artemis didn't seem perturbed at having been attacked by _Superboy_ , Kayanna felt the opposite. What little she _did_ remember of the teen left a bad taste in her mouth.

Robin casted Kayanna another concerned look, but she glanced away and he turned back towards the group, "I remember Batman ordering radio silence," He remarked, brows furrowed before they snapped up in realization, "Our team _must_ work for him!"

"Hey," Kid Flash frowned, "How do you know the team doesn't work for _my_ mentor?" The speedster jabbed his chest with his thumb, and suddenly the dark colors of his suit switched back to its normal, bright colors, "Whoa! This is _so_ cool!"

Kid Flash kept playing with his suit, colors switching between light and dark and everyone else soon followed. Kayanna reached up, pressing the half-moon insignia on her chest. Robin and Artemis also checked to see if their suits did the same thing, but the three were unsuccessful.

None of their suits changed colors.

Finally, after growing more and more agitated, Artemis snapped, "We look _ridiculous_!" Kid Flash continued to play with his suit, and the archer smacked his shoulder, "Quit toughing yourself!"

Kayanna watched as, out of spite, the speedster pressed his insignia once more, his suit going from black to yellow. Robin rolled his eyes behind his mask, shoving Kid Flash's arm down and smacking his chest, his suit reverting back to the dark colors it once was.

Kid Flash scowled at his friend, and Kayanna kicked at the sand, "We need our memories back…" She muttered softly.

" _Cha_ , you _think_?" Artemis agreed in an annoyed tone.

Miss Martian eyed the four teens before her, wringing her hands together before ultimately clasping them. She pondered over her options before, with a deep sigh, she closed her eyes, "For Superboy."

Kayanna jolted as the scenery around her suddenly changed. The once desolate desert that had surrounded the teens was now gone, replaced by lumpy walls of purple and pink. The waterbender looked around at her new surroundings with curiosity, a gasp leaving her throat when she noticed moving images- some of which she was in- dancing across the boundaries of the space.

"I brought you into my mind to share with you what I have remembered so far, but I need your help." A shimmering purple figure appeared, and the four teens set their eyes on it as Miss Martian emerged. Her hood was up, a shy expression on her face as she continued to address the group, "Together our broken memories can form a whole if you open your minds to mine."

Artemis was the first to react, body stiffening as she went on the defensive, "You want to _pry_ through our private thoughts?"

"I do not wish to intrude but-"

"You need to hack our minds to find out what happened to us. Got it!" Robin cut in with a grin.

Kayanna glanced from the boy wonder to Miss Martian, not as confident as the former about this whole situation. She had never faced a telepath before, and she wasn't sure if she wanted to through with this.

"My brain is all yours!" Kid Flash beamed, flashing the Martian a wink, "Try not to let its brilliance _overwhelm_ you."

"Or _underwhelm_ you," Robin mocked, ignoring the look his friend flashed him. He glanced at Kayanna as a thought occurred to him, "Hey, why isn't anyone ever just _whelmed_?"

"Maybe because it's not an actual _word_." The waterbender snapped at him. Robin frowned at the tone, and Kayanna sighed, running a hand through her hair. She didn't mean to snap at him, this whole situation just seemed to be getting progressively worse and worse, "I'm sorry, I'm just- _not_ whelmed."

The boy wonder stepped towards the girl, placing a hand on her shoulder, "Hey, we're all together now, 'An- _Kayanna_." He cleared his throat, "You have nothing to worry about. We'll all be home soon." She smiled at him.

Artemis crossed her arms, still not very pleased with the idea presented before them, "I don't know…" She trailed off, avoiding eye contact with everyone. Kid Flash moved towards the archer, offering her a gently smile before grabbing ahold of her hand. She relented, " _Fine_. Last six months _only_. And only what you need!"

Miss Martian nodded, and then suddenly a feeling like no other tore through Kayanna's mind. Memories of the past six months came flooding back, dancing across her vision and playing out like scenes from a movie.

* * *

 _The day her father finally agreed to let her become a hero. She had chosen the name Nightfall._

 _On the Fourth of July she aided her father in Gotham, before he deposited her at the Hall of Justice._

 _There she met the original proteges, and then joined them on an impromptu mission to Cadmus._

 _At Cadmus they found Superboy, who had attacked them initially and instilled a great amount of fear within Nightfall._

 _A team subsequently was formed, but her father forbade her from joining it._

 _It led to weeks of arguing, a rift forming between the father and daughter._

 _Eventually their relationship began to mend, and Nightfall proved herself apt in the field._

 _Robin, Kid Flash, Nightlight, and Nightfall protected a bank from the Pyro's._

 _And finally, the day her father had finally allowed her to join the team._

* * *

The mental link suddenly broke off, memories fading away and Nightfall clasped her hands to her head. Her temple throbbed, and her eyes snapped open alongside everyone else's.

"Aqualad, Nightlight!" The group chorused together, Kid Flash's voice putting more emphasis on the latter.

"Where are they?" Robin questioned, voice anxious, "What happened next?"

"I- I don't know." Miss Martian admitted with a frown, "That's the last thing I- _we_ remember!"

"We _need_ to find Nightlight," Kid Flash decreed. He glanced over towards Artemis and down, suddenly realizing his fingers were still entwined with hers, "Oh, _ugh_ ," He pulled his hand away, the archer doing the same and the archer turned her head, scowling. At the looks from the rest of the team, Kid Flash cleared his throat, "And, uh, Aqualad of course…"

Robin rolled his eyes before quickly pulling up his holo-computer, "We landed twenty-four hours ago," He informed, "and if Aqualad has been wandering the desert for that long…"

"That's not good for a guy with gills." Kid Flash finished. He was practically vibrating with anxiousness as he watched the boy wonder finagle with his holo-computer. The speedster was internally kicking himself for forgetting about Nightlight… the one girl he _never_ thought he'd forget.

"They're close," Robin reported, and Nightfall shifted closer to glance over his shoulder. Two dots blinked on screen, both within close proximity of each other, "It looks like they're together."

"Then let's go!" Kid Flash urged before zipping away. A few seconds passed, and the speedster suddenly reappeared, "Uh, which way?"

* * *

The group found Nightlight and Aqualad huddled behind a rock.

Nightlight was looking worse for wear with the Atlantean's head in her lap. She was muttering soothing words to him as he stirred, obviously unconscious. Beads of sweat trickled down his face, which was contorted in distress.

Kid Flash had immediately zipped to Nightlight's side, wrapping an arm around her shoulder and asking how she was. Instead of answering his question, the fatigued girl brushed him off and relayed to the team Aqualad's condition.

It was obvious she wasn't feeling so well either. Her skin was pale, dark brown hair sticking limply to her face from the sweat, and her normally bright pink eyes had lost their signature glow. She faced the rest of the team with confusion, not recognizing the other girl's that had accompanied Robin and Kid Flash.

Immediately Nightlight stiffened, but Kid Flash squeezed her shoulders reassuringly, "Relax, Light, they're with us."

She turned her gaze towards the speedster, "What is going _on_?" Though she was doing her best to remain neutral and calm, Nightfall could make out a hint of underlying panic within the girl's voice, "After waking up in the desert with no recollection of how I got here, I found Aqualad nearly unconscious, and _now_ you guys show up? With people I don't know?"

Robin bent down, placing his fingers against the pulse point on Aqualad's neck, and Kid Flash explained to Nightlight the information they had all just learned, "You're missing your memories, Light. We're a _team_. The seven of us plus Superboy."

"Super-"

"Aqualad's pulse is weak," Robin pulled back, cutting the girl off and facing the others, "He needs immediate rehydration."

Eyes snapped towards Nightfall, and the girl rubbed her arm, "I'm out of water… used it to defend myself against Superboy…" She looked away in guilt, feeling helpless.

"Hey, it's not your fault." The boy wonder tried to comfort. It didn't really make her feel better, but she offered the boy a small smile for trying.

Miss Martian sighed as she eyed the dehydrated Atlantean, "Unfortunately, I can't restore his memories in this condition."

"What about Nightlight's?" Kid Flash spoke up.

Nightlight tore her gaze from Aqualad to glance up at the Martian before her gaze swept over the other faces she didn't recognize. Kid Flash still had his arm wrapped around her shoulder, and he gave it another squeeze, trying his bet to reassure the girl. With an apprehensive sigh, she began to speak, "We can worry about my memories later. Aqualad is our priority."

Robin nodded and turned to Miss Martian, "Call the bioship, if we can-"

"It's out of range," She cut in with a shake of her head, "but Kid Flash could probably get him there fast."

The speedster looked sorrowful, "I don't think I can. He's too heavy, right now I couldn't even carry _Nightlight_."

Nightfall rubbed her hands together, chewing her lower lip as the familiar feeling of unease settled in her stomach. Their options were running out. If only she had water left… she could _help_. And knowing she could do nothing was eating her up.

She was useless to the team.

As if sensing what she was thinking, Robin reached over and placed a hand on Nightfall's shoulder. She glanced at him, and he gave her shoulder a soft squeeze.

"Why don't you just _levitate_ Aqualad back to the bioship?" Artemis suggested to Miss Martian.

"I can't," Miss Martian backed up with a shake of her head, and Robin and Nightfall looked at her in confusion, "I _have_ to find Superboy. Six months ago he didn't exist. He has _no_ memories, just animal impulse. I'm the _only_ one who can help him!"

"Superboy's indestructible," Kid Flash started and frowned, " _Aqualad_ needs our help _right now_."

Miss Martian looked ready to protest, but she suddenly doubled over in pain, holding her head. Nightfall stepped forward, Robin's hand slipping off her shoulder as she placed a hand on the Martian's shoulder, "Miss Martian?"

The waterbender reeled back as Miss Martian stood straight up. Her brown eyes were wide with panic, and she cried out, " _No_! Superboy's in pain!"

"M'gann, _wait_!" Artemis cried out as Miss Martian suddenly took off into the air, leaving the small group on their own with the unconscious Atlantean.

"We still don't know what erased our memories!" Robin called after her, "It could happen again!"

His words fell on deaf ears, however, as Miss Martian disappeared into the horizon. Nightfall stared at the skyline in shock, confusion dancing in her mind. How could she just _leave_ them like that?

" _Great_ ," Artemis scowled, kicking at the sand, "Our only hope just flew off to save her _boyfriend_."

Nightlight turned an annoyed gaze to Kid Flash, "What kind of teammate just _ditches_ us?" He didn't have an answer for her.

The situation just seemed to keep getting worse, and Nightfall called out to Robin, "What do we do now?"

Robin glanced over his holo-computer to look at the girl, "According to my GPS, the bioship isn't too far from us. The five of us should be able to get Aqualad there safely."

"And _how_ are we going to do that?" Artemis questioned, crossing her arms.

It was Nightlight that answered the archer's question, "We can use my cape to create a make-shift stretcher." She nodded her head to the side, "We can use some sticks from that tree to stabilize it."

"Good idea, Light." Robin shut off his holo-computer, and Nightlight gently placed Aqualad's head in the stand.

Kid Flash removed his arm from the girls shoulder, shifting slightly to the side to allow the girl to stand up. Nightlight attempted to climb to her feet to remove her cape, but she suddenly swayed and nearly lost her footing, and the speedster was quick to steady her.

"Woah," She commented quietly, hand placed on her forehead, "Vertigo."

"A-are you okay, Nightlight?" Nightfall questioned the fatigued girl.

Nightlight casted her pink gaze the waterbender's way and attempted to shrug off Kid Flash's steadying hand, "I'm fine." She didn't want to show weakness, but as soon as the speedster's aid was no longer there, her legs started to give out. Before she could protest, Kid Flash scooped the girl into his arms, "Put me _down_ , Kid."

The speedster quickly pulled off Nightlight's cape, tossing it towards Robin- who caught it with ease- and addressed the girl in his arms, "You're nearly drained, Light. We don't need you passing out on us either."

Artemis crossed her arms and levelled Kid Flash with a glare, "What happened to _not_ being able to carry Nightlight?"

Nightfall wasn't sure why the archer's tone was so accusatory, but she kept her mouth shut, holding onto the cape as Robin attached the sticks for support.

"Well he's _not_ going to carry me," Nightlight responded before Kid Flash could start an argument with the archer. She shifted her body, going intangible and attempting to float herself out of the speedster's arms.

Instead, however, she found herself with not enough energy to fly, and subsequently landed roughly on her butt on the sandy ground, right at Kid Flash's feet. He was quick to help her back up, but her legs gave out and Kid Flash picked her up once more.

"You were saying?"

" _Fine_ ," Nightlight relented, "You can carry me."

* * *

After getting Aqualad onto their make-shift stretcher, Artemis and Nightfall each grabbed one side. They dragged the stretcher behind themselves, Robin leading the way with his holo-computer, and Kid Flash and Nightlight bringing up the rear.

They had only travelled for a little while when Robin suddenly stopped. Nightfall opened her mouth to question the boy wonder, but he quickly pointed to a sand dune, "Quick, over here!" He hissed.

The group followed him, ducking behind a nearby sand dune. A group of Bialyan soldiers drove by. Aqualad began to mumble incoherently, and Nightfall cupped his cheek, "Shh, quiet, Kaldur." She soothed. As if he had heard her, the Atlantean began to quiet.

Robin watched the girl for a second before addressing the rest of the group, "There's no way we can risk a fire fight with Aqualad unconscious and Nightlight so low on energy."

"It's not just them," When they had all ducked behind the sand dune, Kid Flash had placed Nightlight beside him on the ground, "I'm way out of juice…"

"And I'm almost out of arrows." Artemis tacked on.

"We've already discussed how I'm out of water…" Nightfall added quietly. The waterbender went to ask Robin what their next plan of action was, only to find he was no longer next to her, "Robin?"

"Man, I _forgot_ how much I hate it when he does that!" Kid Flash complained. With a heavy sigh he shook his head and faced Artemis, " _You_ never explained why your dad wanted you to _kill_ me!"

Artemis looked slightly taken aback, and Nightfall glanced between the two with confusion, "Oh, I uh, got confused… about some old movie I saw last night," The archer tried to explain, "about a ninja girl whose… ninja dad ordered her to kill her ninja boyfriend because he was from a rival… ninja clan."

"Say ninja _one more time_ ," Nightfall muttered, more to herself than anything. Her comment went ignored, however, Kid Flash looking at Artemis with confused eyes.

"So you thought _I_ was your ninja boyfriend?"

"Is this _really_ a conversation we should be having right now?" Nightlight commented with irritation.

Kid Flash turned towards the pink-eyed girl, offering her a sly smile, "Would you prefer it if _I_ were _your_ ninja boyfriend?"

Nightlight shook her head, though you could tell she was slightly amused, "Stop it."

"I can't believe _amnesia_ made me forget how _truly_ annoying you are." Artemis snapped.

"Hey!" Kid Flash turned towards the archer, emerald eyes narrowed, " _You're_ no goddess of congeniality!"

Nightfall pinched the bridge of her nose in annoyance. The two continued to bicker, and nothing Nightlight or Nightfall said could get them to stop.

" _Yeesh_ ," Robin suddenly reappeared, the waterbender jumping at his sudden presence, and Kid Flash and Artemis stopped arguing, "Can you two be _any_ louder?"

Kid Flash casted Artemis one last glare, the archer returning it with ease before turning on his friend, " _Dude,_ where were you?!" He demanded.

"Breaking radio silence." Robin answered smugly, as if it were the most _obvious_ answer in the world. Nightfall wasn't entirely sure what he meant, but before she had the chance to ask, the boy wonder's familiar cackle echoed in the area, shortly followed by the sounds of smoke bombs going off.

"That's our cue, _move_!"

* * *

Once the team had reached the bioship, they were greeted with an open hatch as it recognized their presence. Aqualad was immediately placed upon a platform in the back the bioship had conjured up, and an IV was hooked up to his arms, revitalizing fluids flowing into his body. Artemis stood over the Atlantean, keeping an eye on him attentively. He had quit stirring, and color was returning to his dark skin.

Nightlight was sat on her own platform in the back, a water bottle in her hand. Kid Flash continued to buzz around the girl, fretting over her. If she had had a bit more energy, Nightlight would've sent him away, but he looked so concerned about her, so she let him continue hover over her.

Nightfall dropped into a chair in the cockpit of the bioship, running a hand through her disheveled locks as the group waited for Miss Martian and Superboy to return.

Robin slipped into a chair in front of the girl, turning to face her and offering her a water bottle. She graciously accepted it, taking a swig from it as the boy wonder studied her intently, "How're you feeling?"

"Like my head is about to explode."

"I can relate," Robin cracked a grin and Nightfall smiled in response, "But how're you _really_ feeling?" Her smile faded.

The boy wonder knew first missions could be rough, but with everything that had happened to them here in Bialya, it kind of took the cake as far as first missions went. It wasn't everyday you ended up wandering a desert with severe memory loss. Robin had to admit, he was kind of impressed with how put-together Nightfall seemed when she had found him. Granted she seemed kind of panic-y, but waking up alone in a desert with no recollection of how you got there, and then being attacked by a feral teammate will do that to a person. But still, he had to admire her strength and determination to figure out her predicament and find help instead of just shutting down and waiting for help to find her.

"Honestly?" The girl started, capping her water bottle and shaking her head, "I'm not really sure…" Robin's face contorted in confusion as she continued to speak, "It's like… on one hand, this mission was hell, but on the other hand, I wouldn't change anything about it?"

"So, best first mission ever?" Robin beamed.

Nightfall laughed, reciting his words, "Best first mission ever."

A comfortable silence settled over the two as they waited for the rest of their teammates to return to the bioship. The waterbender pondered for a moment over what her father would say about this whole mission, but she quickly wiped that thought from her mind. The mission was done and over with, and there was nothing Nighttide could do about it. She was returning safely and in one piece.

And that was all that mattered.

' _Hey, everyone!'_ Miss Martian's voice erupted within Nightfall's already pain-filled skull, and she cringed at the chipper voice, _'I got Superboy! He's back to normal, and we're on our way!'_

Nightfall pressed her water bottle to her forehead, using her powers to freeze it slightly and enjoying the cool sensation on her aching mind. She rolled her eyes and flashed Robin an annoyed look, "Oh joy, _Superboy_ is back."

Robin chuckled, having already guessed at the waterbender's feelings for the clone, "Hey, he's not _that_ bad."

"He's attacked me _twice_."

"To be fair, neither of those times were directly _his_ fault."

"I don-"

"Who are you? And how did you get inside my head?!" A new voice called out within the bioship. Nightfall and Robin shared a look before jumping to their feet. They made their way towards the back of the bioship, where Artemis was trying to calm a startled Aqualad.

' _Hello, Megan! Aqualad's memories! Knew I forgot something.'_

"I would like _my_ memories back as well." Nightlight tacked on with an annoyed frown.

' _Woops… and Nightlight's.'_

' _Aw man, me too!'_ Kid Flash complained with a smack of his forehead. Nightfall glanced at him with confusion, the speedster still speaking, _'I forgot to get a souvenir from the mission!'_

'Souvenir?' Nightfall mouthed to Robin.

The boy wonder rolled his and shook his head, 'Don't ask.' He mouthed back.

' _Don't worry!'_ Miss Martian chirped again, and Nightfall flinched as pain erupted in her skull once more, _'Got the souvenir thing covered!'_

Robin, who had noticed the girl's pain, reached into his utility belt before pulling out some painkillers. He handed them to Nightfall, who graciously accepted them, as Kid Flash glanced around, "Uh, should we be _concerned_?"

* * *

As it turned out, they should've been _mildly_ concerned about this 'souvenir' Miss Martian had mentioned.

The Martian had returned to the bioship, as chipper as ever, with a broad smile on her face and a hesitant Superboy beside her. When Kid Flash asked about his souvenir, however, _no one_ was expecting a giant, metal (and seemingly intelligent?) ball of metal to roll into the ship. It beeped excitedly at everyone, startling Kid Flash, and sticking closely to Superboy's side.

Kid Flash frowned and poked at the sphere, "What _is_ that thing?"

"That _thing_ ," Superboy scowled, "is Sphere." He responded as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. Nightfall rolled her eyes.

Robin rubbed the back of his neck, "Uh, are we taking it-" Superboy glared at him and the boy wonder cleared this throat, "- _Sphere_ back with us?"

The clone folded his arms, "Yes."

"Alright!" Kid Flash clapped his hands together, chuckling unsurely, "But, uh, I don't think Sphere is going to fit on my souvenir shelves…" He frowned.

"Hey," Nightfall nudged Robin gently, and he turned towards her, "Do you still have that fabric we found earlier?"

Robin nodded, following the girl's train of thought as he pulled it out, "Hey, KF, we also have this." He extended his hand, and the speedster grabbed the fabric before holding it out, revealing the crest of Superman.

"Cool, thanks! And _this_ souvenir won't kill me…"

* * *

 **MOUNT JUSTICE**

After restoring both Aqualad and Nightlight's memories, Miss Martian flew the team home. Once a safe amount of distance from Bialya, they had radioed Batman, and the Dark Knight intercepted the team in the hangar. They gave a brief mission report, Batman recognizing the fatigue of the team and releasing them to head home and go to bed, but not before telling the team that Sphere would need a full examination by the League to determine if it was a threat or not.

" _Hello,_ Megan!" Miss Martian playfully smacked her forehead after Batman had left and turned towards Nightfall, "We haven't given you a proper tour of the cave yet!"

Nightfall blinked in confusion and tried to figure out how to tell the friendly Martian that it was a bit _too late_ for a grand cave tour.

"Uh, _Meg-alicious_ , it's a bit late for a cave tour, don't you think?" Kid Flash came to the girl's rescue.

Miss Martian deflated slightly, rubbing her arm, "Oh, right."

"I would love a tour though!" Nightfall was quick to chime back in, noting how crestfallen the Martian was. She immediately perked back up at the waterbender's words, "Just… a raincheck for now?"

"Raincheck." Miss Martian confirmed with a smile, "I'm glad you were able to join the team, Nightfall."

Nightfall rubbed the back of her neck, "Thanks, Miss Martian."

"Feel free to call me Megan!" The Martian beamed, and Nightfall nodded. Megan continued to smile before saying a quick goodnight to everyone. She spared a look at Superboy, and together the two disappeared into the mountain, Sphere racing after the clone.

Kid Flash yawned, which was very _fake_ and overexaggerated, arms widespread as he stretched, "Guess I should be getting home as well." He turned towards Nightlight, who had been rather silent during the whole exchange, "Mind if I walk with you back, Di?"

Nightlight looked slightly off-guard at the speedster's question, but she was quick to smile, "Not at all."

The pair exchanged smiles before saying quick goodbyes to the remaining teammates and making their way into the mountain, most likely heading towards the zeta tubes. Robin smirked knowingly as he watched Kid Flash and Nightlight walk away, and Nightfall glanced at him, "What?"

The boy wonder just shook his head, but his smirk remained, "Nothing." The waterbender opened her mouth to say something more, but Robin cut her off, "We should get going as well."

Nightfall frowned, "Okay?" and Artemis and Aqualad agreed with Robin.

The four made their way into the mountain and when they reached the zeta tubes, Artemis and Aqualad were the first to disappear into them. Nightfall was about to enter, but Robin called out to her, "Hey, Nightfall. Hold up a second?"

The waterbender glanced back at him in mild confusion but listened nonetheless and stopped. Robin walked closer to the girl, reaching into his utility belt to pull something out, "This is for you," He extended the object towards her. It was a small rod, and Nightfall took it, brows furrowed as she stared at it, "Press the button on the side." Robin instructed.

Nightfall did as she was told, and as soon as she pressed the button, the rod suddenly extended to a length of about five feet, "Woah!" She exclaimed, startled slightly by its sudden change. Her eyes ran over the sleek metal, noting how it looked shiny and new, before she shifted her gaze to Robin, "What is this?"

"It's a bō staff." Robin explained, gesturing towards the weapon in her hands, "On our mission today, I noticed you were a little low on weapons and I figured if you run out of water, you might want something you can still fight with," Nightfall nodded her head. And though she could tell his words were carefully picked so as to not offend her, she knew he was referencing the fact that, when in the field earlier, she was practically hopeless in battle because she had no water.

Nighttide was doing his best to help train his daughter to be able to fight in situations without water, but she sometimes relied on her powers too much, so the thought never really crossed her mind.

"The staff should also work as an extension of your powers," Robin continued to explain after seeing the unsureness on the waterbender's face, "I'm sure you could probably control water with it as well."

Nightfall glanced up, blue eyes a mixture of emotions, "This is for me?"

Robin studied the girl for a few seconds, but for once in his life, he found it hard to read her, "Uh, y-yeah," The boy wonder rubbed the back of his neck, worried that he might be offending the girl, "That is, uh, if you want it!" He quickly finished.

Nighthfall looked from Robin to the staff and then back at Robin again. The boy wonder had a small frown on his face as he suddenly looked rather unsure of his gift, but then a bright grin stretched across the waterbender's face, and his frown turned upside down, "Thanks, Robin, I really appreciate it."

"No problem, Nightfall."

The waterbender felt her cheeks heat up at the smile Robin flashed her, and she quickly ducked her head, hoping her curtain of hair would hide her blush. She pressed the button on the side of the staff once more, and it shrunk back to its original size. Nightfall played with it in her hands, still looking down and still fully aware of Robin's eyes on her.

"I can, uh, show you how to use that if you'd like?" Robin offered. He rubbed the back of his neck as Nightfall looked up at him.

"I'd, uh, yeah… I'd like that." She answered with a smile.

The boy wonder's shy smile brightened, and Nightfall felt her cheeks heat up once more. A silence settled over them, the two maintaining eye contact. It was Robin that broke the eye contact first, glancing down with a soft blush and breaking the silence as well. "I should probably get going."

"Huh?" Nightfall blinked before processing his words, "Oh, uh, yeah! Me too…"

Robin flashed the girl another smile before walking past her and towards the zeta tube. Nightfall watched him as she waited for her turn to use the device, before he suddenly stopped. The waterbender arched a brow as Robin turned around to look at her once more. He looked both thoughtful and nervous, wringing his hands together before finally speaking.

"I'm really glad you got to join the team, Nightfall."

And then, before the girl could respond, he disappeared in a flash of bright light.

Nightfall stared at the place Robin had once been standing, a goofy grin stretching across her face as her heart fluttered at the boy wonder's words. Her cheeks were positively still burning as she glanced from the zeta tube to the staff in her hands.

 _Yeah, today had been a pretty good_

* * *

 **A/N: Hey guys! Quick update for ya'll because honestly this chapter has been mostly written for like a year now... lmao**

 **Thank you for all the support! I really appreciate it. And don't forget to keep those reviews coming! ;D**

 **Hope you all- that celebrate it- have a good Thanksgiving! Probs won't be updating before then lol...**

 **-SnowWolf22**


	8. Hydration

**Young Justice is not mine.**

* * *

 **Hydration**

" _To some, it's just water. To me, it's where I regain my sanity."_

\- Unknown

* * *

 **GOTHAM ACADEMY**

A sharp chill had settled in the daytime air as autumn settled upon the city of Gotham. Kayanna stood under an archway, Barbara standing beside her, as they waited for their friend to show up.

It was the start of a brand-new school year. They were now _freshman_ and Kayanna couldn't help but feel nervous as she stood there, waiting for her friend and class. The first day of the school year _always_ frazzled her nerves.

She fiddled with her pleated skirt, attempting to pull it down a few inches as her redheaded friend watched her with mild bemusement.

The uniforms for Gotham Academy were _killer_.

And _not_ in a good way.

Kayanna messed with her skirt for a few more seconds before Barbara's hand shot out, smacking the brunette's hand away.

" _Quit_ playing with it."

Kayanna held her hand, the mild sting from the sharp whack fading slowly, and frowned, "I _hate_ these uniforms. It's like they get shorter and shorter every year."

"You say that every year," Barbara laughed with an eyeroll, "Besides, it's called _growing_."

"I don't like it."

" _You_ can't control it."

The waterbender glared at her best friend, the two entering into a mini glare-off. It lasted for a few seconds before the two suddenly broke into laughter, smiles stretching across their faces.

Dick Grayson strolled into the forum of Gotham Academy, hair slicked back and uniform freshly pressed. His backpack was slung over one shoulder, and his bright blue orbs glanced around the courtyard as they searched the populated area.

He found what he was looking for, eyes settling on Kayanna and Barbara. The mathlete could only see their heads, but they both wore bright smiles as they shared a laugh, the joke unknown to Dick. A soft grin stretched across his face and he began to weave his way through the crowd to greet his friends.

Just as Dick broke through the crowd, he suddenly found his body freezing stiff as his two best friends came into full view. He felt his heartrate begin to pick up, mouth going dry as his hands became clammy. A feeling of sudden nervousness settled in the pit of his stomach as the mathlete found his gaze landing on a smiling Kayanna.

Dick's gaze trailed upwards, eyes lingering on her tan legs for a tick, and a blush dusted his cheeks. The mathlete cleared his throat, hoping no one had noticed his staring, before shifting his gaze upwards. Her eyes twinkled brightly as she continued to laugh with Barbara, her hair shining brightly in the sun. The freckles that dusted her cheeks were as prominent as ever, and Dick felt his stomach twist as his heart fluttered.

The mathlete wasn't sure what had come over him, or why his mouth had suddenly gone dry, but it was a feeling he wasn't accustomed to. Kayanna was one of his _best_ friends, and Dick couldn't figure out _why_ her presence was causing this… _feeling_ within him.

Dick wasn't daft, he understood what _feelings_ were and whatnot, but why he suddenly felt them for Kayanna well… he just wasn't sure.

"Hey, Grayson," A voice called out and Dick blinked, "are you going to continue to _stare_ or are you going to come join us?"

Dick's face reddened once more at being caught, and he stuttered for a second, catching Kayanna's gaze before snapping them back towards Barbara, "I was just- just uh- yeah."

 _Smooth, Grayson_.

That wasn't his finest moment, Dick chastised himself internally, finally closing the distance between him and his friends. Barbara smirked knowingly at the boy, Kayanna quirking a mildly confused brow, and the mathlete shrugged. He glanced away from his friends, eyeing the students as they bustled around the courtyard.

"A-are you guys ready for classes?"

Barbara shrugged, "As ready as I'll ever be." She admitted.

There was some slight hesitation in her voice, and Kayanna knew it was because the redhead was nervous about the AP classes she was taking. The waterbender also knew her friend was going to be just fine, she was incredibly smart after all.

"I'm just ready for this day to be over with."

Laughing, Barbara playfully nudged Kayanna's shoulder with her own, "You're just excited to go to dance practice after school."

"Maybe," She shrugged with a light smile.

Dick chuckled and Kayanna glanced over at him, "Freshman year is here. I think I'm ready."

The waterbender quirked a brow, tossing him a quick smirk, "Not with your tie like _that_ you're not." Before Dick had a chance to respond, she stepped towards him, light pink dusting his cheeks once more at her proximity as she adjusted his tie, straightening it up before taking a step back. Kayanna patted his chest before lifting her eyes and catching his gaze.

A blush covered her cheeks upon realizing how close to his face she was, and she was quick to step back. Tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, she swallowed thickly, avoiding Dick's gaze, as she said, "There, uh, there you go."

"T-thanks." Dick responded quietly.

Barbara glanced between her two friends, highly amused, but before she could make a comment, the shrill sound of a bell echoed through the courtyard. It was the minute bell, meaning that the first day of the scholastic year was so close to starting.

"Guess that's our cue to go." The redhead looked at her two friends once more before linking her arms with theirs. Together, the trio made their way towards the school's main entrance, disappearing into the mob of students to head towards their first classes of the day.

* * *

 **MOUNT JUSTICE**

"That hardly seems fair."

Nightfall groaned softly, back pressed against the cave floor. A dull ache had settled in her lower back- the spot that first hit the floor- and she stared up at the rocky ceiling above her. The computer prattled on about her fail, but she tuned it out.

Robin's face appeared in her field of view, hovering over her with an expression somewhere between concerned and cocky. A bō staff- _her_ bō staff- was slung lazily over his shoulder, and he extended a gloved hand to her, "What hardly seems fair?"

She accepted his hand and Robin hoisted her to her feet, "It's unfair you're using _my_ weapon against me."

The hacker cackled, causing Nightfall to frown, as he moved the bō staff in front of himself. He twirled it expertly, showing off a bit and the waterbender made a move to snatch it from him. Robin expected as much from her and was quick to move it out of her reach, "I think it's perfectly fair," He flashed her a toothy grin, "After all, I _stole_ it from you fair and square!"

Nightfall made another blind grab for her bō staff, but Robin eluded her once more and she huffed, "Fair and square my ass." She muttered under her breath.

"What'd you say?" His highly trained senses had caught her less than happy words, but the boy wonder found a flustered Nightfall to be adorable, so he continued to tease her.

"I _said_ you're supposed to be training me! Not kicking my _ass_."

 _Maybe I should've just gone_ home _after dance practice instead of coming to the cave…_

Robin shrugged coyly, placing one end of the bō staff on the ground and leaning against it, "No one ever said I can't do _both_ at the same time."

The waterbender scowled, the look only causing Robin's grin to increase in size. She propped her hands on her hips, doing her best to glare at the hacker, who continued to lean against her bō staff. An idea filled Nightfall's mind and with a quick flick of her wrist, a stream of water shot out from her water pouch. Robin had little time to react as the water curled around the bō staff, and with a sharp tug, the girl pulled her bō staff back to herself.

The boy wonder stumbled forward at the sudden loss of his perch, but he was nimble and quick, able to easily catch himself. Nightfall smiled in victory as the bō staff returned to her grip, her water slipping back into its pouch. She pressed the button on the side of the bō staff, the weapon returning to its compact shape, before she glanced up.

Robin was suddenly right in front of her, cocky smirk wiped from his face, and Nightfall found her face lightly heating up at the sudden proximity. She blew in his face, breath tickling his nose, and the hacker moved back, crying out at the weird sensation his nose was left feeling.

"What was that for?"

"You were in my personal space." The waterbender shrugged.

Cracking a grin, Robin laughed and shook his head. He gestured to her bō staff, sinking slightly into a fighting stance, "Go again?"

Nightfall pressed the button on her bō staff, elongating it to its full length once more. She mirrored the hacker's pose, but maintained a firm grip on her weapon just like he had showed her, "Are you going to play fair this time?"

"You're the one who used your powers after agreeing _not_ to."

"Yeah, after _you_ wouldn't give me my _staff_ back!"

Robin suddenly leapt at the girl, and she yelped before stepping back and pulling up the bō staff. The waterbender used it to deflect his attack, spinning it around to deflect his incoming punch. The hacker was quick to spin around, aiming a high kick to her chest. She deflected it once more with the bō staff, but Robin had expected this and changed tactics, bringing around his fist as Nightfall pushed his leg away.

The fist made contact with her jaw, pain flaring up slightly, but she could tell he was pulling his punches. Nightfall stumbled backwards a few feet, doing her best to regain her composure as Robin approached her once more. She swung the staff at the boy wonder, and he dropped to his knees to duck under it. His momentum kept him moving, and as he slid by Nightfall he grabbed her ankle.

Giving it a good yank, he pulled her leg to the side, effectively almost crippling her balance. The waterbender tried to right herself and pull her foot back, but Robin pushed it upwards as he lifted up to full height. Nightfall bounced on one leg, regaining her balance to the best of her ability as the hacker held onto her other one.

"Let go." She frowned, trying to pull her foot back and not fall at the same time.

Robin grinned, "Why?"

Instead of giving him a response, Nightfall tried to whack him in the head with her bō staff. The boy wonder managed to deflect the first whack, but she moved the staff around his hand and jabbed him in the forehead.

The waterbender looked triumphant as Robin lifted the hand _not_ holding her foot up to his forehead, rubbing the now sore spot, "Nighty!" He frowned.

"You deserved it. Let me go!"

Nightfall regretted her words almost immediately as a coy smirk settled itself upon the hacker's lips. He suddenly tugged on her leg, pulling her forward and dropping her foot in the process. The waterbender found herself stumbling forward, shock from the sudden movement causing her to drop the bō staff. She collided with Robin's hard chest, the boy wonder cackling as he helped to steady the girl.

She frowned up at him as she pulled back, hands clasped around his biceps while his found purchase on her shoulders, "That seemed unnecessary."

"You've got to expect the unexpected."

"I-"

"Are we _interrupting_ something?" A new voice suddenly called out, echoing in the cavernous space. Nightfall and Robin immediately snapped their heads towards the source.

Wally and Dimitri entered the training room, the former wearing a mischievous grin. He popped another potato chip in his mouth, the crunching noise loud enough to echo around the room. Beside him, Dimitri wore a soft grin.

Nightfall stared blankly at the speedster and Robin frowned.

"Don't mind us we're just- _oof._ "

Dimitri smacked Wally in the chest, cutting the speedster off, "What are you guys up to?"

Nightfall glanced at Robin before pulling away from the hacker, ignoring the sudden increase in her heart rate. She swallowed thickly before reaching down to pick up her discarded bō staff. As she glanced up to answer the spirit energy wielder, she pressed the button to retract the weapon, "Robin's training me with this," The waterbender held the bō staff up, waving it for emphasis, "thingie."

"It's called a bō staff," The boy wonder corrected with a grin.

"Yeah, _that_."

Wally waggled his eyebrows, a playful smile on his face, "It didn't look like-" With a curt glare from Robin, the speedster cut himself off before changing his words, "It, uh- making any progress?"

Nightfall glanced at Wally curiously before attaching the bō staff to her belt. Once Robin had given her the weapon, he had also gotten her belt upgraded to hold the weapon, "Uh, maybe?" She answered hesitantly.

It didn't feel like she was making any progress, but this was also only the _first_ training session the two have had together since the boy wonder had gifted her the bō staff. Nightfall knew it was going to take time for her to become adept at using the weapon.

"She knows how to _whack_ people with it pretty well," Robin rubbed his forehead- the exact spot she had hit him in- as he side eyed the waterbender. She looked away, acting all nonchalant about it.

"You were being unfair."

"I was-"

"Sounds like you deserved it, man," Wally cut in, flipping another chip into his mouth. He loudly crunched the salty snack, and Dimitri suddenly snagged the bag from his grip. The speedster cried out, making a blind grab for his snacks, but the spirit energy wielder summoned a shield, and his hand bounced harmlessly off the pink barrier, "Hey!"

"You can either eat chips like a normal human being, or you cannot eat chips at all." She eyed the salty snacks, making sure to _only_ touch the bag, and not the contents inside.

"Look, Di, when you eat something crunchy you _have_ to crunch it! It's the rules of the food game." Wally tried to argue, and Nightfall grinned.

"I'm inclined to agree with the human garbage disposal." The waterbender commented lightly.

The speedster was still trying to get his snacks back from Dimitri, but paused momentarily to look at Nightfall, "Babe, thanks for agreeing with me, but your words _wound_ me." She shrugged in response and Robin laughed.

"I don't even understand how you can even _eat_ these things," The spirit energy wielder frowned and held the bag of chips up as she examined the nutritional information, "They have like a _pound_ of salt!"

"I'm not eating them because they're _healthy_!" Wally exclaimed as he smacked the pink shield. The force reverberated through the shield, but it did nothing to actually _damage_ it. Dimitri glanced at him out of the corner of her eyes, watching as he dejectedly placed his forehead against the barrier. The speedster attempted to use his version of puppy dog eyes on the brunette, but she turned away from him with a fond grin and a soft blush, "Diiiiiiiiii!" He whined, "I'm hungryyyyy."

She faced him once more, "I'm sure you could find something _healthier_ to snack on."

"Don't make me get the salt."

Dimitri's eyes narrowed, "You wouldn't _dare_."

While the two continued to bicker about the salty snack, Nightfall turned to Robin, a confused frown on her face, "What's with her and salt?"

"Di's powers are spirit based, and salt acts as an inhibitor of those powers. It also hurts her if she touches it." The boy wonder explained.

She nodded, "So Wally was going to… _throw_ salt on her? That seems mean."

Robin laughed, a mental image of Wally sprinkling salt on Dimitri popping into his head, and he shook his head, "No. Wally's figured out that he can make a _salt circle_ around Di, and it keeps her _trapped_ there until someone damages the salt circle."

"So, it's like _Supernatural_ when they make a salt circle and a ghost can't pass through it?"

"Uh," The hacker paused, "Sounds like it? I've never seen the show."

Nightfall gasped melodramatically, clasping a hand to her chest as she faced Robin. He merely quirked a brow as she commented, " _Really_? You're missing out!"

"Am I? Guess you'll have to show it to me sometime."

"Yeah," The waterbender nodded with a gentle grin, "I guess I will."

" _Dimitri Spiros_! You give me my chips back _right_ now!"

* * *

While Dimitri continued to hold Wally's snacks hostage, Robin was called away to Gotham. He disappeared into the zeta with a quick goodbye, and Nightfall disappeared further into the confines of Mount Justice. She had a general idea of where she was going, as M'gann had managed to give her a quick tour the other day, but the place was still huge and she wasn't fully used to it.

After a few minutes of meandering around the cave, the waterbender found herself in the hangar. The bioship was at rest, shriveled up in its pod form and Nightfall admired it as she walked by. It was easy to admit that she was fascinated by the Martian tech, especially its shape shifting abilities. For it to shift from the small egg form to a decent size ship was incredibly impressive.

Nightfall strolled down the stairs after passing by the resting bioship. She made her way towards the waters edge, inhaling the salty scent of the ocean. It was calming, and after all the chaos that was occurring in the mission room, she welcomed the feeling with open arms.

Taking in a deep breath, the waterbender raised her arms up. She pushed her arms forward, and the ocean water before her followed her command. A small wave went careening through the little grotto before crashing into the hangar wall on the opposite side.

Nightfall pulled her arms back, which summoned the water towards her. Holding her palms out in front of her, she stopped the water's movement, concentrating on holding the wave out in front of herself. The waterbender lifted her arms up, and the wave increased in height. She snapped her arms to the sides, and the wave split into two before racing off in opposite directions. They crashed into the shores on opposite ends of the small grotto, the water sloshing about in the pool from the impact.

It was an invigorating feeling to control one of the four elements, especially one as prominent as water. The day Nightfall's powers had manifested she was _ecstatic_. She had grown up knowing about and admiring her father's powers, and that admiration only grew when he became a superhero.

And then the day came where her powers showed up, and her life had never been the same since.

Nightfall's arms moved intricately before the girl, swirling around and pulling up a spout of water. It gave her some resistance, the waterbender frowning, before she concentrated harder on lifting the water up. With a sharp tug, the liquid finally did her bidding and lifted upwards.

The waterbender smiled at her success before suddenly crying out in shock. Her heartrate spiked and her concentration faltered momentarily as Aqualad- located within the waterspout Nightfall was controlling- blinked at her.

Aqualad had been coming back in from a quick swim in the ocean. He had attempted to make his way towards the stairs to climb out of the water, but some force had suddenly tugged him back as he felt the water around him retreat. The Atlantean had fought against the sudden current change, but ultimately found himself being lifted within a water spout out of the pool of water, which revealed Nightfall as the source of the waters control.

Taking a deep breath, Nightfall moved her hands and directed the water spout beside her, where she deposited Aqualad upright on the platform. She dropped her control of the water, allowing it to splash harmlessly to the concrete platform before she waved her hand, and the water slipped back into the small grotto.

"Aqua- Kaldur!" The waterbender started, correcting herself midsentence as she eyed the leader, "I-I'm so sorry."

Aqualad looked bemused what had just occurred, arms folded neatly behind his back, "No apologies are necessary, Kayanna." He quirked a brow, "Were you training?"

"Kind of?" Nightfall shrugged, "I was more so just playing around." She returned her gaze to the water, watching as it lazily lapped at the edges, "It's kind of calming to just play with the water."

"It is, isn't it." The Atlantean agreed with a small smile on his face.

Nightfall turned her head, eyes shifting from Aqualad's seafoam green to the water-bearers on his back, "Those help you control water, correct?"

Aqualad glanced over his shoulder before reaching back and pulling out a water bearer. He held it in his hands, running his fingers over and admiring the familiar Atlantean markings. Nightfall watched him as he looked back up at her, "Yes, my water-bearers give me the ability to manipulate water and form constructs out of it."

"Do you _need_ to use them to do that?"

"I do," The Atlantean nodded, eyes getting a bit distant as he continued on, "As a consequence of coming to the surface world, I have fallen behind in my studies at the Conservatory of Sorcery in Poseidonis. More advanced students do not require water-bearers to control water."

Nightfall watched as Aqualad placed the Atlantean weaponry back in his weapon pack, eyeing the tattoos along his arms in the process. They were thick and black, trailing along his muscular arms until they ended at the tops of his hands. She took a closer look at where they ended, noting how they looked like eels.

"Your tattoos," The waterbender started, and Aqualad looked down at one of his arms at the mention, "they look like eels?"

The leader held up a hand, twisting it to give Nightfall a better view of the back of it, "That they are." He admired the eel tattoos himself for a moment, eyeing the little eyes and open mouth before dropping his hand, "Similar to an electric eel, I can generate sparks of electricity."

"I remember," She responded, "you shocked the crap out of that Blockbuster guy at Cadmus."

Aqualad chuckled at the waterbender's choice of words, the sound making her smile. A silence fell over the two, but it wasn't awkward as they each turned towards the water. Even before gaining her powers and learning her father had water powers, Nightfall had always had a natural draw to any and all water. She was fascinated by it and loved to be surrounded by the element. It often brought her great peace, and though many people feared water and what it could hold, she loved it.

When Aquaman went public and the world learned of the Atlanteans, Nightfall was instantly hooked. It had always been a wild dream of hers to _live_ underwater, and to find out there were people- who were magically and scientifically altered- to do just that enticed her greatly. She had done as much studying on their people as she could, but not much information was out there on Atlanteans, as they were still rather secretive. Most of the stuff she found was just myths and lore, and the waterbender wasn't sure if that information was accurate at all.

But now she was on a team, and the team had an _Atlantean_ for a leader, so she was going to use that to her advantage.

"Do you regret leaving Atlantis?" Nightfall broke the calm silence, turning towards her contemplative comrade.

"No," His response was almost immediate and strong, the quickness of it taking the girl aback, and she immediately felt like she had gone too far with her questions.

"I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to pry." She attempted to apologize before Aqualad could further answer her question.

Aqualad shook his head and placed a hand on her shoulder, "You are fine, Kayanna. I am actually… _flattered_ by your interest in me and Atlantis."

She cracked a small grin, "I've always been fascinated by Atlanteans and to be able to freely talk with one now, I guess I'm just… overly excited. Plus, your abilities are similar to mine…"

"Understandable," The Atlantean smiled, a friendly twinkle in his eye, "To be honest, there once was a time where I thought I regretted leaving Atlantis, but coming to the surface world has given me a life- and friends- I never could even have imagined, and for this reason, I have never looked back."

"It must've been hard to leave your home."

Aqualad's chin tilted upwards, fond memories of his life back home playing out in his mind, "It was hard, yes, but my friends and family back home were supportive of my decisions. Though my duties on the surface world have kept me busy, I am free to visit home when I so desire."

"Maybe I can tag along on one of those visits someday." Nightfall gazed up at the Atlantean with a shy smile and hope in her voice, "I've always wanted to visit Atlantis."

He smiled down at the waterbender, but the smile didn't reach his eyes. Instead they were slightly sorrowful with a hint of regret, "I would love to show you my home, but unfortunately, I do not believe your body is suited for the water pressure at the depth my home sits."

Nightfall felt her heartbreak at his words, hope dashed. She understood where he was coming from, and a part of her knew it was a longshot before she even asked. Even with her powers, she was still only a human.

"No, I-I figured as much," She responded with a sad smile, "Nighttide can manipulate the water pressure around himself which allows him to make deep dives, and maybe one day I'll get the same ability so I can visit."

"When that day comes, I would be happy to show you Shayeris and Atlantis." Nightfall's smile brightened at the Atlantean's words, "If you don't mind, may I ask you a few questions?"

"Of course," The waterbender chuckled, blue eyes sparkling, "it only seems fair."

"You stated that we have similar abilities, and given what I have seen of your abilities, that is true, but does that mean you could be part Atlantean?"

Nightfall's lips twisted in thought for a moment before she shook her head, "I don't believe so. My grandma told me my family's abilities can be traced back to an Inuit tribe that was located in northern Canada a few centuries ago. The first person to have these abilities was a fisherman by the name of Tarkik, who was out fishing late one night during a full moon. A storm rolled in and almost washed him away, but he suddenly found himself with the ability to control the water around himself, subsequently saving his life.

Our abilities are strongest during a full moon, and because of this, it's believed that the moon God, Igaluk, gave Tarkik these abilities. As for why, the stories don't say."

Aqualad nodded his head, digesting the story Nightfall had just relayed to him, "Are there others with your abilities?"

"Maybe?" Nightfall responded, voice slightly sullen, "According to my grandma, at one point in time, there were a few tribes that had people with my abilities, but about a century ago, they began to disappear, one by one. No one seems to know what happened to them, and all traces they exist have been lost, including the tribe my grandma was a member of."

"That is truly unfortunate," The Atlantean's brows furrowed as he offered his condolences, " _Nothing_ has ever been found of them?"

Nightfall rubbed her arms and shook her head once more. The story had always given her the chills, as it was incredibly eerie to her and gave her an unnerving feeling in the pit of her stomach, "When my grandma tried to return home, there was nothing left. She even used her abilities to move the snow and ice to search for any and all remains, but the site where her home once sat was gone."

"I can not even imagine what your grandmother must have felt upon finding her home gone."

"Neither could I."

Silence once more blanketed the duo, this one more tense than the last. The air was heavy, as the topic had taken a slightly dark turn, and Nightfall stared intently at the water. Her grandma- Anyu- had left her home to go see the United States, specifically New York City. Though her tribe had little contact with the outside world, she had saved the life of a fur trader who had gotten lost in the wilderness nearby her tribe's settlement. This man was an outsider, and spoke favorably about his home city of New York. His words had spared Anyu's interest, and when she turned eighteen, she set out for New York.

Upon reaching the city, she spent a year there, where she met Jacob Sanders, who she would later marry. She missed her family greatly and wanted them to meet her future husband, so she decided to make a trip home. However, upon her arrival, she found everything _gone_.

Anyu never heard from- or found- her family and tribe again.

Nightfall kicked at the concrete ground below her feet, and a small wave suddenly went speeding across the small grotto. It startled the two, and the waterbender rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly, "My bad…" Sometimes her abilities acted up if she wasn't concentrating enough.

"It is quite alright," Aqualad chuckled in amusement as the water settled down. He nodded his head at the water, "Besides for being able to control the water, what more do your abilities allow you to do?"

"There's not much more," Nightfall admitted with a shrug, "I can, however, do this?" It was more of a question than a statement, and the leader quirked a brow.

The waterbender held her hands out and focused on them intently, Aqualad watching her curiously. Her eyes narrowed in concentration as she chewed her lip, and slowly her hands became transparent. Upon closer inspection, the Atlantean realized her hands were actually _water_.

Aqualad's eyes widened slightly and Nightfall suddenly exhaled sharply, her hands returning to normal. A familiar tingling feeling settled within her hands at the shifting between solid and liquid, and she shook her hands as she looked up at the Atlantean.

"You can turn yourself into water?" He surmised.

"Kind of?" Nightfall informed, "Uhm, it started with my fingers and has spread to well, what you saw… but that's all I can do right now? It's- it's not something my dad or grandma can do, so none of use really know what to expect…" She stared at her hands again before crossing her arms, subconsciously tucking her hands into her armpits.

Aqualad noted her posture and movement, watching as she curled slightly in on herself. The waterbender was unsure of the ability she had discovered, and he could tell it made her slightly uncomfortable, even more so since her mentors knew little about the ability themselves.

"The team will always be here for you."

Nightfall gave the Atlantean a soft grin at his reassuring words.

The ability itself would be cool if she could master it, but it kind of hurt and left her feeling weird whenever she tried to work with it, so for the time being, she focused on honing the rest of her abilities.

Nightfall spluttered as she suddenly found herself with a face full of water. A salty taste filled her mouth and she shook her hands, blinking and pulling the water off of herself. She held her hands out, the water that once soaked her hovering in the air around herself.

The waterbender glanced up, eyes narrowing as she stared at Aqualad with a dumbfounded look, "What was _that_ for?" She cried out, and he grinned.

The Atlantean had his water-bearers out, his tattoos glowing from having just used his powers. His grin shifted into a sly smirk, water suddenly swirling up and forming into swords on his water-bearers. Nightfall eyed him curiously as Aqualad began to speak, "Would you like to put your abilities to the test?"

A coy smirk stretched across the waterbender's lips, eyes brightening as she shifted into a fighting position. She moved her hands, the water already in her control shifting with anticipation as she directed it to her sides.

"You're _on_."

* * *

After sparring with Aqualad, the two made their way towards the kitchen. Nightfall was parched and could use something to drink. As they approached the room, laughter wafted down the hall, and it continued to grow louder as they neared the source. The two shared a look.

When they entered the kitchen, they were _not_ prepared for the sight that greeted them.

M'gann and Artemis, as well as Wally and Dimitri, were gathered around the dining room table. A sullen Superboy was sat in one of the dining chairs, a scowl on his face. That scene, however, wasn't super unusual.

It was the shower cap that sat atop the clone's head.

"What is going on?" Aqualad questioned the group with a quirked brow.

Nightfall couldn't help the small smile that found its way onto her face at Superboy's predicament, but as soon as she made eye contact with the boy, it was gone. She turned to walk into the kitchen, making her way towards the fridge to grab something to drink.

"We're bleaching Superboy's hair!" The waterbender heard M'gann announce.

After grabbing a bottle of water, Nightfall leaned against the kitchen counter that separated the dining room from the kitchen. She twisted the cap off, asking, " _Why_?"

M'gann pulled the cap of the clone's head, running her gloved fingers through his hair to check on it, and Artemis answered, "M'gann and Conner are going undercover in Belle Reve a few days from now as Tommy and Tuppence _Terror_." The Martian placed the cap back on his head.

"Oh." Nightfall scrunched her brow and paused, " _Conner_?"

"It's Supey's new name!" Wally chimed in with a grin, zipping around the counter and throwing an arm around the waterbender, "Now Conner's not as good as the _Wallman's_ own name, but I think it suits him."

"My grandma once had a dog named Wally."

The speedster turned his head towards Nightfall, an offended look on his face, " _Babe_!" She cracked a grin at the look and Artemis couldn't help but snort.

"This stuff is starting to sting my head." Super- _Conner_ \- spoke up from the dining table, practically growling, "Is time almost up?"

Dimitri glanced down at her phone, checking the time before looking at the back of the bleach box, "You have like five more minutes."

The clone grumbled incoherently to himself, M'gann smiling at him with fondness as Nightfall found another small grin making its way onto her face. It was amusing to see Conner in such a compromising position.

"Ah, relax, Supes," Wally dropped his arm from Nightfall's shoulder, zipping over to a random cabinet to pull out a snack before returning to his spot beside the waterbender, "it can't be _that_ bad."

Artemis held up the extra bleach, a conniving smile stretched across her lips, "You want to find out, _West_?"

"No," The speedster deadpanned, shooting the archer a stink eye. Artemis glared back at him, but he turned a flirty gaze towards M'gann, "Unless my favorite _Martian_ wants to play with my _luscious_ locks." For emphasis, Wally ran a hand through his red hair, winking at the green-skinned girl.

She looked uncomfortable, "Oh, uhm, I-I'm alright, Wally." Nightfall elbowed the speedster, who hissed in pain, as Conner glared at him. Dimitri found herself scowling from her spot behind the clone and Artemis smirked.

"Pathetic." She spoke snidely, annunciating each syllable of the word.

"No one _asked_ you, blondie!"

The archer opened her mouth to retaliate, but Dimitri suddenly cut in, voice annoyed, " _Please_ don't start fighting again." Nightfall nodded her head in agreeance.

"She/he started it." The two chorused together. Upon realizing their matching words, they flashed each other dark glares.

"Dimitri is right, there is no reason to fight." Aqualad stated, voice full of authority as he gave Artemis and Wally both stern looks. They each looked away from each other. Satisfied that the potential fight had been broken up, the Atlantean told the group he was off to meet his King. He bid them all farewell before disappearing down a hallway and towards the zetas.

An alarm going off suddenly broke the awkward silence that had fallen over the group, the spirit energy wielder immediately grabbed her phone. She shut off the alarm and smiled, "And you should be done!"

Conner suddenly stood up from the table, causing those circled around him to scatter, before he made his way towards the kitchen sink, "Good. Now get this _junk_ out of my hair." He ripped the cap off of his head before dipping his head under the faucet in the sink.

"On it!" M'gann instantly chirped, floating over and turning on the water. She mentioned something to the clone about how he should move his head so she could let the water get warmer, but he just brushed her off and said the cold was fine.

Nightfall glanced at Dimitri, who had followed the two into the kitchen and was now leaning against the counter on the other side of Wally, "Should they, uh, be rinsing that stuff off in the _kitchen_ sink?"

The other brunette shrugged, "It's a bit late to be concerned about that now."

"Ten bucks says Supey looks _terrible_ as a blonde." Wally interjected himself into the two girl's conversation.

"That boy could have _blue_ hair and he'd still look better than you, _Wallman_." Artemis practically purred as she stood beside Nightfall, who tried to conceal her giggles at the archer's words behind her hand. The archer eyed Conner with an appreciative look, and the waterbender took notice of the position the clone had found himself in.

He was currently giving the others a _perfect_ view of his backside and Artemis didn't bother to hide the fact she was _blatantly_ checking him out.

Nightfall ceased her laughter and crinkled her nose, turning her attention away from Conner. Dimitri rolled her eyes and Wally asked about the bet once more. Artemis gave in, the two shaking hands, as they waited for M'gann to finish washing the clone's hair.

A few seconds later the Martian stepped back, a smile on her face as Conner pulled his head out from underneath the faucet. Water dripped down his forehead and onto his chest, and since no one had a towel at the ready for him, the clone lifted his arms up and quickly took his shirt off. He wrapped it around his- now blonde- head, using it to dry off.

Artemis and M'gann eyed Conner appreciatively, Wally frowning at their looks, and Nightfall and Dimitri shared a bemused glance.

 _Teenagers_.

"Alright, quite showing off!" Wally scowled with an eye roll, "Just show us the final product."

Nightfall chuckled at the speedster's reaction, and Conner removed the make-shift towel from his head, chucking it at Wally. He cried out before quickly throwing the discarded shirt onto the ground.

Conner glanced up, holding his arms out as he looked expectantly at the gathered teens, "So?"

Nightfall studied him silently while M'gann and Artemis immediately began to compliment him.

"I think you look _great_ as a blonde," The archer cooed before shooting Wally a triumphant look.

"You're just saying that so you can _win_ the bet!" The speedster accused, and Artemis shrugged.

Dimitri shook her head, "Honestly, it doesn't look that bad." Nightfall nodded her head in agreeance. She hated to admit it, but Conner did look good as a blonde. The lighter hair color made his skin seem tanner, causing his baby blue eyes to pop even more than normal.

"Di, I thought you were on my side!" Wally pouted at the spirit energy wielder beside him.

She shrugged, "I try not to lie."

The speedster rolled his eyes before turning to Nightfall, who was on his other side, "What do you think of Conner's hair, babe?"

Nightfall blinked, ignoring all the eyes that were on her as she glanced between Conner and Wally, "I think I'm curious as to why you didn't just get him a _wig_." The waterbender commented innocently.

A silence rippled through the room as the teens pondered this.

M'gann shared a look with Artemis, "We, uh, didn't think about that…"

Realization dawned on Conner, the clone's blue eyes narrowing dangerously.

"You're telling me you _bleached_ my hair for _no reason_?!"

* * *

 **A/N: Hey guys! Sorry this chapter took a while, but seeing as it's an original chapter, they take a bit longer than usual.**

 **I tried to incorporate some more background info about Kayanna and where her powers come from, as well as some information about Dimitri!**

 **As always, thank you all for your support! It means a lot!**

 **Words:** 6868

 **Pages:** 15

 **Don't forget to drop a review- I would love to hear what you guys think!**

 **-SnowWolf22**


	9. Homefront

**Edit: Chapter was messed up on my end? It might've been fine for you guys, but I had to re-upload it. Sorry it's not a new chapter- yet!**

 **Young Justice is not mine.**

* * *

 **Homefront**

 _"The more violent the storm, the quicker it passes."_

\- Paulo Coelho

* * *

 **GOTHAM ACADEMY**

"Happy birthday!"

Two voices happily chorused together, causing Kayanna to jump at the sudden commotion. She looked up from her phone, ready to greet her two best friends, only to feel two pairs of lips press themselves to each of her freckled cheeks. They tinged red at the contact, and the brunette shoved Dick and Barbara away with a laugh.

" _Ack,_ you guys are _gross_!" A coy smile graced Kayanna's lips as she playfully rubbed her cheeks.

Barbara blew a raspberry at her friend, hands on her hips, "This is the thanks we get for being _amazing_ friends?"

"Tch. You guys _slobbered_ all over my cheeks!" Though her tone was mildly disgusted, the smile on the brunette's face told her two friends that she was only teasing.

Dick beamed at Kayanna, and when she made eye contact with him, he began to move his hands, signing out _'Happy birthday'_. She smiled as Barbara looked confused, and the brunette placed her fingertips to her chin before moving her hand outwards, signing _'thank you'_ in response.

Kayanna had become obsessed with American Sign Language when she was younger, after she befriended a Deaf student that was in her class in elementary school. She had picked up the language with relative ease, her parents providing her with ASL books until they could afford proper ASL lessons.

At one-point Dick learned Kayanna knew ASL and asked her to teach him. He used this as a chance to better get to know the brunette as, as Robin, he was already fluent in the language.

But she didn't need to know that.

Kayanna had attempted to teach Barbara ASL, and though the ginger picked up some ASL skill, she just wasn't all that interested in the language herself. Her interest did peak, however, when Kayanna and Dick started having mild ASL conversations in front of her, but the words never really stuck with her.

Barbara moved her hands in the way Dick did, trying to mimic his signs. Based on what Kayanna had signed back- the ginger _did_ recognize _thank you_ \- she assumed that meant the mathlete had signed _happy birthday._

Kayanna giggled as Barbara signed towards her. However, the ginger moved her hand wrong for the first sign, which turned what was supposed to be _happy_ into a totally different word.

"That's breathe birthday." The brunette made the sign for breathe, flat hand going towards and away from her chest, " _This_ is happy." With the same hand, she signed happy, flat hand going slightly up and down the front of her upper chest.

Barbara nodded, signing _happy birthday_ correctly this time, "Oh, I see!" The two shared a laugh before the ginger looked around, a sudden frown finding its way onto her face, "Hey, where'd Dick go?"

Kayanna's own lips curved downwards as she glanced around, also finding the mathlete to be missing. They didn't hear him leave, and it wasn't like Dick to _not_ say goodbye if he was going to ditch him, so it was weird he was just up and gone.

"Oh, there he is!" Barbara called out, pointing across the courtyard "What is he doing?" Her voice turned questioning as the brunette followed her finger.

Blue eyes going wide, Kayanna saw a sight she did _not_ expect to see at Gotham Academy.

It was Artemis- the _same_ Artemis from the covert superhero team she was on.

 _But what was she doing at Gotham Academy?_

Kayanna didn't tell Barbara that she recognized the blonde, and the two stood, confused as they watched Dick toss a friendly arm over Artemis's shoulder. He pulled her down slightly, as he was a few inches shorter, and lifted his phone into the air. With a bright smile on his face, he snapped a selfie of the two, with Artemis's expression being on the more confused side of the spectrum.

Just as quick as Dick had arrived at the blonde's side, he was gone. Artemis glanced around the courtyard, searching for where the sneak photographer had gone, but instead her steely grey eyes landed on Kayanna. Recognition washed over her, eyes widening, and the brunette lifted up a hand, giving the archer a slight wave.

Artemis didn't respond, however, instead turning back to Bette and pretending as if she hadn't seen Kayanna. The brunette felt a tinge of pain at not being acknowledged by the archer, but she brushed it off as Artemis just having first day of school jitters.

"Dick, what was that about?" Kayanna glanced over as Barbara addressed Dick, who had just returned.

"Just being friendly to the new girl, Babs." He kept his voice light and friendly, only answering vaguely and Kayanna eyed him weirdly.

"Do you take pictures with _all_ the new kids? Or just the pretty ones?"

"Why?" Dick glanced up from his phone, turning his attention to the new girl. A coy smirk stretched across his face, and Kayanna felt as if she recognized that look from somewhere else, " _Jealous_?" He teased lightly.

Kayanna snorted at the friendly accusation, brown hair swaying as she shook her head, " _Hardly._ " She flashed the mathlete a joking pout, "but you never took _my_ picture when I was the new girl."

Dick beamed, "I guess we'll have to rectify that then!"

The brunette quickly regretted her words as Dick suddenly tossed an arm around her shoulder. They were similar in height, with Kayanna being an inch or two taller, so he didn't have to pull her down too far. He didn't give her much time to prepare herself as he positioned his phone above their faces.

With a quick click, he snapped a selfie of the two and Kayanna pulled away from him.

Dick began to laugh as he looked down his phone, the sound attracting Barbara's attention. The ginger leaned over his shoulder, getting a good look at his phone before a wide grin stretched across her face, a loud snort escaped her lips before she broke out into a fit of laughter.

Dread settled in the pit of Kayanna's stomach as she feared the worst. She made a mad swipe at Dick's phone, but he as quick to move it out of her reach.

"Dick, come on!" She whined, "Show me the picture!"

"As you wish, birthday girl!"

The mathlete did as he was asked, turning the phone screen towards Kayanna, but he made sure to stay out of her reach and positioned Barbara between the two.

Kayanna's eyes widened as she took in the picture before her. Whereas Dick looked great- somehow he _always_ took perfect pictures- the brunette was a whole other story. She hadn't been prepared for the sudden photo, so her eyes were partially shut, lips parted unattractively and hair a wild mess from the fast movement.

"Ohmygods." She breathed out, glancing at the picture one more time before flashing Dick a stern glare, "I look _terrible_! Delete it!"

"Nah," The mathlete beamed, turning his phone back towards him to smile at the picture, "I think I'm going to keep it."

"It's my birthday, you're supposed to be _nice_ to me!"

Dick shrugged and Barbara rolled her eyes, "Why? You look-" He was suddenly caught off as the shrill sound of the minute bell cut through the courtyard, "Oh, time for class! See you guys later!" The raven waved at his two friends before disappearing into the crowd of students that were making their way into the prestigious school.

"Richard John Grayson!" Kayanna nearly screamed, moving fast to catch up with the cackling Dick Grayson, "You get back here _right_ now and delete that photo!"

* * *

 **MOUNT JUSTICE**

 _"Recognized: Nightfall: B-Zero-Five."_

The brunette blinked as the light of the zeta died down around her, the familiar tingling sensation the teleportation device gave her lingering within her body. Though she had made use of the zetas multiple times, her body still wasn't used to the sensation of seemingly being torn apart and put back together.

Maybe one day she'd get used to it.

Nightfall glanced around the cave, eyes falling on Aqualad and Red Tornado, the two huddled slightly together. At the declaration of the waterbender's name, the two heroes had faced her, whatever topic they had been discussing suddenly dropped. Nightfall could feel the tense atmosphere and felt as though she had just interrupted something important, but she tried to brush off the feeling.

It wasn't her intention to interrupt them, of course, but she was just so excited to hangout with her teammates in a more casual manner- though Miss Martian wanted them in hero garb?- so she zeta'd to the cave a little (okay maybe a lot) early. She was more than willing to help if they needed any as well.

The brunette offered Aqualad and Red Tornado a soft smile, and after a small internal struggle, she forced herself to walk towards them. The Atlantean greeted her first, "Hello, Nightfall. M'gann tells me today is your birthday."

Nightfall nodded, a bright smile on her face, "It is!"

Aqualad smiled at her enthusiasm and placed a hand over his heart, tipping his head her way slightly, " _Charoúmena genéthlia_."

"Is that?" The brunette quirked a brow, head tilting slightly.

"Yes, that is happy birthday in Atlantean." There was a twinkled in the Atlantean's eye and Nightfall's face split in a large smile.

"Cool! Thanks."

"Yes, I believe it is a human custom to wish one happiness on your day of birth." Red Tornado chimed in on the conversation and Nightfall faced him with a soft laugh.

"Thanks, RT."

The android nodded his head at the young waterbender before beginning to turn on his heel, "I must bid you both farewell."

Aqualad and Nightfall shared a look. They both knew Red Tornado lived in the cave, so they weren't sure where he'd be going, "If you do not mind me asking, where are you going?" The former questioned.

"Monitor duty on the Watchtower."

"My dad told me you were exempt from monitor duty?" Nightfall frowned.

Red Tornado stepped towards the zeta beam, the computer scanning him before the android turned to face the two young heroes.

"I agreed to cover for Green Arrow. He has an… _interpersonal_ event with Black Canary. A _hot date_ as he put it."

Nightfall's nose crinkled and the android was swept away by the zeta. She shook her head before facing Aqualad, who looked rather bemused, "I didn't interrupt anything, did I?" Upon entering the cave, she had caught the tail end of some conversation, but the subject had been immediately dropped once her presence was known.

Aqualad looked thoughtful for a moment before vaguely answering, "You did not, no. Red Tornado and I were having a brief conversation about team logistics."

"Why do I feel like you're hiding something from me?"

The Atlantean stiffened at the sudden accusation, eyes widening slightly as he opened his mouth to respond. Nightfall took note of his reaction, her accusatory look easily shifting into a lighthearted and joking one as she waved her hand, "I'm just kidding, Kal." Aqualad exhaled slowly and his body began to relax, "I understand it's leader stuff and not my business."

An uneasy smile settled on his lips as he tilted his head. Nightfall was still smiling up at him, and he could see the absolute trust within him swirling in her blue orbs. A pang of guilt tugged at his heart, knowing full well he could easily tell her- and the others- about the potential mole issue, but he just needed a little bit longer to quietly investigate.

Plus, today was supposed to be a day of celebration. Aqualad was positive if he dropped word of the mole issue to the team, Nightfall's birthday would be spoiled.

So for now, it would remain secret for a little while longer.

Aqualad breathed out, the sound similar to that of a shaky laugh, "Thank you for your understanding, Nightfall," She hummed in response and he began to turn, gesturing to the waterbender to follow him, "I believe M'gann is in the kitchen baking, shall we go see if she needs our help?"

Nightfall playfully pouted, "But it's _my_ birthday. I shouldn't have to help!" The joking twinkle in her eye clued Aqualad into the fact that she was only joking, and he chuckled.

"Then let us go see if M'gann needs _my_ help."

* * *

The kitchen was a mess.

Miss Martian was a mess.

And Kid Flash was absolutely no help whatsoever.

Nightfall and Aqualad had entered the kitchen, the two enjoying the sweet smell of freshly baked cookies that wafted through the air and found a slightly frazzled Martian attempting to bake one too many things at one time. There was a pile of dishes in the sink, and the floor was covered in various baking materials, such as flour and sugar.

Whereas the kitchen might've been a right mess, the living area and dining space were neatly decorated with streamers and banners of varying colors. Kid Flash was sat at the dining table, an army of blown up balloons littered the floor around him as he continued to blow up balloons and tie them. Nightfall giggled as his fingers fumbled and one of the balloons slipped through his grip, the air making a spluttering noise as the now loose balloon flew around the space.

The speedster grumbled at his mishap before his eyes brightened as they landed on the giggling waterbender, who was stood beside an amused Aqualad, "Babe!" Kid Flash grinned before zipping across the room. Nightfall squealed as she suddenly found herself wrapped up in his strong arms, feet leaving the floor for a hot second as he lifted her, "Happy birthday!"

Nightfall laughed and breathed out a quick thank you as the speedster set her down, but as soon as she was free from his arms, the waterbender found herself swept up into Miss Martian's arms. Excitement radiated off the older girl in waves, and Nightfall was quick to return the Martian's hug, "Yes, happy birthday!" She pulled back, amber eyes bright, "I hope you like the decorations! I wanted to make sure everything looked perfect! This is my first Earth birthday party."

"It looks great, M'gann." Nightfall smiled, her words causing Miss Martian to beam.

"I'm so glad you like it," She clapped. A timer began to beep, and the Martian turned to address the noise, only for her eyes to widen at the mess that was the kitchen, " _Hello_ Megan!" She slapped her forehead before floating to the kitchen. Pots and pans and other kitchen paraphernalia began to float in the air as the dishwasher opened, "I forgot to clean the kitchen. It's such a mess, and we can't have the party in here with the kitchen a mess!" Miss Martian began to ramble, and Nightfall shared a look with Kid Flash as Aqualad stepped forward to help.

"She's been like this all afternoon." The speedster told the girl as they watched Aqualad and Miss Martian get to work on cleaning up the kitchen.

Nightfall chuckled and shook her head, "She didn't have to put this stress upon herself. I was fine with a simple get together."

"You heard M'gann," Kid Flash shrugged, "This is her first Earth birthday party, so everything has to be perfect. She even kicked me out of the kitchen!"

"Why am I not surprised?"

He pouted, "Not my fault I have a serious metabolism. Everything she was baking smelled _so good_!"

"Is that why you were placed on balloon duty?" Nightfall glanced up at him.

"Yeah," Kid Flash's shoulders sagged. He glanced longingly at some of the fresh cookies sitting on the counter before perking up and shifting his gaze to the girl beside him, "Speaking of, care to help me?"

The waterbender feigned offense, "You're going to make me blow up balloons for _my_ party on _my_ birthday?" In all honesty, she may tease people about it, but Nightfall didn't mind helping- even if it was for her own party.

Kid Flash snorted, "Correct." And before she knew it, the two were suddenly in the dining area, the speedster pushing Nightfall gently into a chair before shoving a balloon in her air, "Besides, I'm running out of air to fill these balloons!"

"And here Robin told me you were _filled_ with hot air."

It took the speedster a few seconds to digest what she had said, and when it processed, he whined, " _Babe_!" Nightfall flashed the mildly offended Kid Flash a coy smile as she stretched a balloon before placing the open end in her mouth and blowing into it.

It increased in size and when it took on a nice shape, she stopped blowing and pinched the opening to prevent air from escaping. She quickly tied the end, ensuring it was tight so no air would escape, before smacking it towards Kid Flash.

The balloon dinked the side of the speedster's head, who had a half-filled balloon in his mouth, and he blinked as it gently fell to the ground. Nightfall beamed at him as he rolled his eyes and finished filling the balloon. After tying the end, he returned the gesture and knocked it towards the waterbender. She slapped it back at him and the two began knocking the balloon back and forth.

"Are you two having fun?" An amused voice asked. Nightfall turned her head just as Kid Flash hit the balloon back at her, and it bounced off the side of her head as Miss Martian smiled at the two.

"Think we have enough balloons, Megalicious?" Kid Flash asked, and for emphasis he kicked the balloons at his feet, sending them into the air in a frenzy and Nightfall giggled.

"It's Kayanna's party, so what do you think?" All eyes turned to the waterbender, and she shrugged.

"Honestly, I think it's more than enough!"

Miss Martian beamed, happy everything seemed to be going according to plan and that Nightfall was happy. She clapped, "Great! The cookies are done, and your cake just finished baking. It needs to cool so I can frost it, but otherwise, we're just waiting on the others!"

"Sounds good." Nightfall grinned. The decorations and the baked goods were way more than she was expecting, but this all seemed to make Miss Martian really happy, so the waterbender didn't mind.

"And when are the others supposed to be here?" Aqualad questioned, curious as to what the answer was for two reasons. The first being, of course, for the party, but the second had to do with the mole intel. He figured, with everyone gathered at the cave and just hanging out together, he could use this time to slyly snoop and investigate the mole issue.

"Superboy's down in the hangar," Miss Martian answered, "and I think Artemis and Robin should be here soon."

"Dimitri said she'd be here later. She had some prior engagement with her father or something." Kid Flash supplied.

"Shall we go find Superboy?"

Miss Martian perked up at the thought of seeing the clone, while Nightfall's shoulders slumped. She frowned, her sullen 'no' being drowned out by the Martian's cheery 'yes'. And with that consensus, the group set out to find Superboy, Kid Flash having to drag along the grumbling waterbender.

* * *

Nightfall was at the back of the pack as they entered the hangar. Sphere rolled up to the group, beeping happily and seeking attention. With his free hand- as his other one was occupied by a sandwich Miss Martian had smartly had at the ready for him- Kid Flash patted the happy machine as the group approached Superboy.

The clone glanced up from his position on the ground. He was kneeling by his bike, a wide variety of tools and devices strewn about him.

"'Sup, Supey?" The speedster asked, taking a large bite of his sandwich.

Nightfall continued to hang back as the others formed up around him, hands behind her back as Superboy looked at Kid Flash, "I'm just trying to tune my bike."

"Trying?" He chuckled before- in two large bites- he finished off his sandwich, "looks like you need the _Wallman's_ expertise!"

The clone's brows furrowed as he stood up, and Kid Flash knelt in his place and leaned in close to the bike. Meanwhile, Superboy glanced over at Nightfall. He rubbed the back of his neck as they made eye contact with each other.

"Uh, happy birthday."

The waterbender glanced away, rubbing her arm, "T-thanks."

"I think I see the problem, Supey!" Kid Flash chimed in, breaking the awkward tension that was beginning to fill the area, "Can someone hand me a torque wrench?"

"I got you, Wally." Miss Martian chirped before using her telekinesis to pass him the desired tool.

The speedster grabbed it and tossed her a wink, "Thank you green-cheeks."

Aqualad glanced at his teammates as Kid Flash set to work, and Miss Martian began to talk with Superboy. Nightfall still hung back a bit, and the Atlantean opened his mouth, "I have been meaning to ask," He started, drawing the attention to himself, "have any of you been having trouble juggling schoolwork with your responsibility here?"

"No," was Superboy's simple answer.

Nightfall shrugged, "I've been managing alright."

"Juggling is just one of my many talents!" Kid Flash boasted as he continued to work on the bike, "Socket wrench."

The desired tool lifted into the air, and Nightfall found herself mildly wondering how Miss Martian knew which tool was which. After all, even though the waterbender was from Earth, even _she_ couldn't really differentiate between the tools. She could tell you what a flathead screwdriver and a Phillip's screwdriver was, and that was about it.

"Daily cheerleading practice has presented a challenge," Miss Martian admitted as Kid Flash grabbed the tool. She realized what she had said and went on to further clarify what she meant, "Oh, but my first loyalty is to the team! Uh, _this_ team- _not_ the Bumblebees!" She finished with a chirp and Aqualad nodded.

"Artemis started school today," The Atlantean relayed nonchalantly and Nightfall quirked a brow, "Do you think _she_ will have trouble maintaining her loyalties?"

The waterbender wanted to speak up and mention how Artemis went to the same school as her, but she decided better of it. It wasn't her place to reveal that information, and she felt it didn't matter much.

"Nah," Kid Flash was the first one to speak up for the absent archer, "she'll manage alright." He carried on as he stood up, hands propped against his hips, "I mean, how much more _hostile_ and _annoying_ can she-"

A sudden explosion knocked the gathered heroes off their feet, cutting the speedster off and effectively sending them into battle mode. Nightfall attempted to climb back to her feet as the others around her did the same, when a huge wave washed towards them. She tossed up her arms, only managing to make it to her feet, and pushed back against the incoming tidal wave.

It was enough to provide a momentary reprieve for the heroes, as they all scrambled to their feet and darted off into battle. Nightfall finally managed to climb up to her feet, and pushed back against the wave even more. It fought back against her push, the force causing her feet to skid backwards some.

Nightfall eventually revoked her control on the wave, instead allowing it to steadily flow towards her. With a wave of her hand she cut a slit into, directing streams of water around her instead and the wave passed her harmlessly by. She wasn't in the clear, however, as a fireball suddenly landed at her feet.

Her name was called as she landed harshly on the concrete ground, head smacking against the gritty surface. Her forehead stung as blood began to seep down a gash that had formed at the contact, and a dull ache settled in her skull as a disorienting feeling washed over her body.

More water rushed towards her, and the girl jerked her body to the side, rolling and holding her arms up. The water dodged her body at her command, passing within mere inches from her face and she used the cover to roll onto her knees.

Vertigo washed over her as she stood up once the water was clear, and she numbly slipped into a fighting stance. Another stream of water came careening towards her, this one more stream-like and vicious. Nightfall was quick to redirect it, but she still couldn't find the source of the water, so the water sailed in a random direction.

In her peripherals, she saw Miss Martian go down, fire flickering at her feet as Aqualad tried to protect the incapacitated Martian, but even he was growing weak. Kid Flash was nowhere to be found, and Nightfall saw Superboy get harshly knocked into a wall by another stream of water. It swelled up and consumed him, the clone struggling to escape the watery trap as his oxygen supply was being depleted.

The waterbender made a move to help him as his movement began to slow, but the first step she took sent her crashing to her knees as her mind began to fade away. The view in front of her continued to worsen as her vision became blurred and distorted. Kid Flash had reappeared, but he had been knocked out and was now laying limply beside a freshly knocked out Superboy.

Aqualad had fallen as well, the heat of the fire weakening his body, and Nightfall felt her conscious begin to further slip away.

 _Happy birthday to me._

* * *

 **SAN FRANSCISCO**

"Again."

"I can't do it."

"Yes, you _can_. You just need to relax and-"

"-and breath, release yourself from physical bonds, _project_." Dimitri replied harshly, finishing her father's sentence that had been recited to her over and over and over again during the course of their training. Normally, she wasn't one to talk back to her father, and she immediately regretted it when she saw his frown, "I-I'm sorry." She apologized hastily, "It's just that we've been at this for hours, papa, can't we take a break, please?" Dimitri's shoulders sagged as she asked the unmasked Shadow Hunter, who sat before her on their living room floor.

Aaron looked at his daughter, who was a splitting image of her deceased mother, and sighed. When it came down to it, he could never say no to her, "Yes, we can take a break."

Dimitri brightened slightly at his agreement. The two had been training for well over two hours, trying to perfect a new technique: spirit projection. It was an ancient ability of those that come from the Children of Hades, the mystery cult and chosen mortals that Hades bestowed the power of the spirit to in order to protet the balance of life and death.

Dimitri was typically a quick learner, not only in academics, but with her abilities as well. However, there was something about this ability that gave her trouble. It involved relaxing and letting go, something with which the young spirit energy wielder had never truly been able to do.

With a sigh, Dimitri uncrossed her legs and laid back onto the carpet, staring blankly up at the ceiling fan. Her eyes followed the blades slowly as they turned, and Aaron frowned.

" _Agápi mou_ , what's bothering you? You seem… off?" Her father questioned softly, voice laced with worry.

Dimitri shook her head, though she wasn't sure if Aaron could see, as she continued to stare at the ceiling. She fumbled for words, "I just want- I hate no being able-" Each time she started a new phrase, the words just didn't seem right so she'd pause, "I just don't like not being able to do _something_." The words finally came to her and Aaron's eyes softened as he began to understand what she was feeling.

"Dimitri, you can't be perfect at everything. Even _I_ had a hard time mastering spirit projection." Her father admitted, words soft as he tried to comfort the frustrated Dimitri, "but once you do master it, it will open up a whole new set of possibilities. You just need to _relax_."

His daughter let out a quick laugh, which caused Aaron's kind expression to morph into one of confusion, " _Me_? Relax?" Dimitri sat up, bring her knees to her chest, "When was the last time you've seen _me_ relax?" She glanced up at her father, seeing the sad expression on his face, the one that she caused, before looking away, "Sorry."

Aaron shuffled over and wrapped a protective arm around his daughter's shoulders. These small outburst at home had been becoming more frequent than Aaron would like to admit. At first the single father had chalked it up to being a phase as Dimitri adjusted to being a teenage superhero, but the excessive worrying, restlessness, and sleepless nights hadn't gone unnoticed by Aaron over the years.

"Is it getting too much for you again?" Aaron asked softly, and Dimitri tensed under his arm, "You know you have the option to walk away."

The young spirit energy wielder pulled away from her father, a baffled look on her face, "I _can't_ walk away from it all! What would happen to you if I wasn't there? Or to the team? If I'm not there and something happens, it would be all _my_ fault, and I couldn't live with myself if that happened. Not again."

* * *

 **MOUNT JUSTICE**

Nightfall awoke with a start, the sharp throbbing in her skull greeting her immediately. She squeezed her eyes shut and gasped in pain.

"Kayanna!" A familiar voice shouted. It sounded so far away, yet oh so close as well as it echoed in her aching mind. The voice called out to her once more, and the waterbender willed the nauseous feeling in the pit of her stomach to go away as she slowly opened her eyes.

Her vision was blurry and distorted, but as the seconds passed, it began to clear and the world came into focus once more. The first thing her blue eyes settled on was Kid Flash, who's emerald orbs were wrought with worry as he stared at her.

"W-wally?" She breathed out, gaze shifting to Superboy as she digested the scene before her. They were trapped within something metallic looking, and it took a few seconds for the girl to realize it was the clone's motorbike- or, what was left of it at least, "W-what happened?" Another sharp pain stabbed at her mind, and Nightfall tried to grab her head. She realized with horror, however, that her arm was trapped and when she glanced down, she noted that she was trapped within the metal confines as well.

The waterbender began to struggle as panic bubbled up within her. Her body jerked side to side as she tried to wiggle her way out of the entrapment, but it was no use. She couldn't even move her fingers.

Breath now coming in quick, Nightfall found herself beginning to hyperventilate as her struggling became more erratic. She could feel the metal digging into her body, no doubt leaving bruises and cuts, but the girl couldn't bring herself to care.

She _had_ to get out of there.

Blood pounded in her ears as her heart rate quickened, pain flaring in her head even more at her struggling. As someone who's powers relied on movement, Nightfall had an immense fear of being trapped and confined, which left her feeling vulnerable and useless. This fear was a mixture of claustrophobia and merinthophobia, and just like how she was sent into a panicked frenzy when podded at Cadmus, the same was happening again here.

"Woah, woah, woah, hey!" Kid Flash called out to the girl, who was still struggling in her confines, "Kayanna, relax, look at me! Relax, breath." The panicked Nightfall made eye contact with the speedster, who was doing his best to channel his inner Aqualad, who's cool demeanor could calm anyone, " _Breathe_." He stated once more.

The two continued to maintain eye contact, and slowly but surely Nightfall's breathing began to return to normal, though her heart rate remained slightly elevated. The speedster managed to offer her a reassuring smile as her panic began to lessen.

"Good-"

 _"Attention Robin. Attention Artemis. You have exactly ten minutes to surrender or the lives of your teammates will be extinguished."_

The robotic voice cut Kid Flash off and sent another stab of panic jolting through Nightfall. A female android lifted into the air and hovered above the platform where Miss Martian and Aqualad were trapped within the confines of a fiery cage. She lifted a hand, and Nightfall could see the cage glow brighter and hotter. The waterbender could only imagine the state their resident Martian and Atlantean were in as, from her viewpoint, she really couldn't see them.

The water suddenly split from Nightfall's right, which startled the girl, as a male android, the same sheen of red as the female, rose from within the liquid. He also lifted his hand into the air, and the water level before Nightfall, Kid Flash, and Superboy began to rise up, slowly overtaking the trio's entrapped feet before continuing to rise upwards.

Nightfall's blue eyes widened for fear as she struggled once more. It was her first instinct to lift her arm up and stop the water, but with her arm firmly cemented within the melted remains of Superboy's bike, she could do no such thing.

For the first time ever since gaining her powers, the site of water elicited a strong sense of fear within the girl.

* * *

 **SAN FRANSCISCO**

The room had gone silent at Dimitri's outburst, her words and anxiety filling the air. Aaron looked towards the kitchen, more specifically the cabinet that was located above the sink, "You don't want to try them again, do you?" His daughter followed his gaze, trying to calm down her quick breathing that her anxiety and outburst had caused.

" _No_ ," She shot him down quickly with a shake of her head, "they make me feel… _numb_. I can't concentrate, and if I can't concentrate, I can't do my job, and if I can't do my job, I can't-"

"I know, I know." Aaron cut his daughter off as her breathing picked up once more. He brought Dimitri to his chest, embracing her in a strong hug, and she let herself be soothed by her father back to normal breathing, "We'll figure it out, alright?" Aaron murmured, running a soothing hand up and down his daughter's arm, "Just please, be open to me, be open to your friends. I've seen how they make you happy, focus on that for now, alright?"

Dimitri pulled back and looked up at her father, her mentor, "Okay, I'll try." She agreed with a soft nod. She made a move to stand up, Aaron shifting alongside her, before the two climbed to their feet. The young spirit energy wielder took a deep breath, further attempting to calm herself down, "Could we try spirit projecting another day? I don't think I can do it with this state of mind…" She admitted as a sudden feeling of tiredness washed over her.

Between training and the anxiety attack she was on the verge of having, she felt _drained_.

Aaron kissed his daughter's forehead, "Go and rest up. I'll start on dinner and call you down in a few. Italian sound good tonight?"

"Sounds good," Dimitri responded, giving her father a soft smile before heading off to her room.

Aaron watched her leave, and when she was out of sight, he let out a deep sigh. Rubbing his temples, he walked over to his armchair before taking a seat. He reached out to the coffee table and retrieved his laptop before opening it.

 _I wonder if it would do her any good?_

The thought crossed his mind as he opened up an email Koda has sent him a few days ago.

 _Subject: Service Dogs._

* * *

 **MOUNT JUSTICE**

The minutes ticked by slowly, with the androids slowly counting down the time. The hope Nightfall had felt at the mention of Artemis and Robin's names had significantly begun to diminish with each passing minute. Her hope for rescue was slowly being consumed by the thought of a watery death.

A relative silence had filled the hangar, the only real sounds being the crackling of the fire cage that was slowly killing Miss Martian and Aqualad, as well as the soft sounds of water as it sloshed against the metallic material that had Nightfall, Kid Flash, and Superboy trapped. It acted as a constant reminder of what was to come.

Nightfall continued to struggle against her restraints, but her strength was vastly diminishing. The pounding in her head continued to gain strength, and the waterbender could feel the stickiness of blood as slowly dried and caked the side of her face.

There was a loud splash, and the waterbender managed to twist her head around enough to view the source of the noise. She feared it was the male android returning, but her blue eyes widened in mild happiness as they settled on Robin and Artemis.

"Look out!" Kid Flash warned the two as the female android launched a barrage of fire balls at them. The two reacted quickly, diving deep below the water just as a fireball landed where they had once been floated. It sizzled as it died out, and the female android turned her head to study the water.

The sounds of gasping filled the area as Robin and Artemis resurfaced, this time treading water besides their three trapped friends.

The boy wonder's masked gaze trailed over the trio, "Are you guys okay?" His eyes landed on Nightfall, and he quickly noted the gash on her forehead, and the blood that caked the side of her face. She looked rather pale, her normally tanned skin tainted with a white hue, "Nightfall?" Robin singled the girl out. The others seemed alright, but it was obvious she wasn't.

"I'll be fi-" was all Nightfall could get out before Superboy interrupted her.

"Forget us!" He shouted, voice pained, "Help M'gann and Kaldur!" The clone tilted his head upwards, worried blue eyes settling on the fire cage and drawing Artemis's attention towards it. Robin spared Nightfall once last worried glance, before also following Superboy's eyes.

"Aqualad!" Artemis called out, "Is she-? Are you-?"

"M'gann is unconscious," The Atlantean replied, voice faint and filled with weakness as he cradled the Martian, "I fear she- _we_ \- cannot survive much longer."

Another wave of fireballs was launched at the two free teens, and they scattered. Nightfall flinched away from the flames as they dissipated in the water a mere few inches from where her and the others were trapped.

Artemis and Robin resurfaced by the stairs, each sucking in deep breaths as they began to trudge up the stairs. They were forced to pause midway, as the female android appeared at the top of the stairs, a raging hot inferno burning behind her. The two turned to retreat the way they came, only to be cut off on that end as well. The male android lifted from the water, and Nightfall could see the scowl on Robin's face.

The boy wonder backed up the stairs until he was near Artemis once more, the two pulling out their designated weapons as they prepared to face off against the androids. Robin called out something to the archer, but Nightfall couldn't make out his words, and the two suddenly split.

Artemis launched an arrow at the female android while Robin laid attack upon the male android. He released a flurry of birdarangs, the majority bouncing harmlessly off the android's thick, metal skin. One flew through the air before it stuck in the metal a mere few inches from Kid Flash's head. The speedster cried out in shock.

The male android didn't seem perturbed by the attack as he lifted his hands, two spouts of water curling up from the pool below. He jolted his hands forward, the streams doing his bidding at the same time the female android launched another fireball. The two elements met in the middle, a haze of steam billowing upwards, but Robin and Artemis were already gone.

The two dove into the water, disappearing into the depths and when they didn't resurface, Nightfall assumed they surfaced elsewhere to regroup. At least, that's what she hoped they did. She didn't want to assume the worst.

They wouldn't leave their teammates for death, right?"

* * *

Nightfall found some relief from the pounding in her skull by tilting her head back as much as she could. The coolness of the metal against her skull felt nice and staring up at the ceiling also meant that she could ignore the water as it lapped at their chins.

" _Oh,_ duh _! They're_ machines _!"_ A familiar voice suddenly called out, though it seemed distant and static-y. Nightfall tilted her head down and glanced to her left, where Kid Flash was staring out of the corner of his eye at the birdarang that was positioned by his ear, _"One electromagnetic pulse will shut down any machine within range!"_

"Is that Robin?" Superboy questioned. He was the furthest from the two, but he also had super hearing.

"Yeah, yeah!" Kid Flash answered before making a hushing noise, "Now _shhh_. I can't hear Artemis."

Nightfall frowned as the speedster did his best to tilt his head closer to the device, straining his ear as he attempted to listen. The waterbender couldn't hear anything else, but she assumed Robin was conversing with Artemis somewhere, but she wasn't sure if Kid Flash could actually hear the archer or not.

 _"I'm fresh out!"_ Robin's voice wafted through the birdarang once more and Nightfall was mildly curious as to what he was referring to, _"but I'm betting we can make one. What do you say, KF? Do-able?"_

"Totally do-able!" The speedster agreed.

 _"Five minutes."_

The android continued to count time down, and Kid Flash frowned, "You know, if you had more time…" At the worry in his voice, Nightfall found herself beginning to panic once more.

 _"It's the only plan we've got right now, so it's worth a shot."_

* * *

"Med lab. X-ray machine." Kid Flash explained to Robin, "You'll find a small vacuum tube called a vircator that converts high energy pulses. Reprogram the units microwave conversion from X-rays to EMPs, with a cascading energy directed outward."

Nightfall tried to follow along with what the speedster was saying, but the science was stuff she hadn't learned about in school yet. Robin, however, seemed to understand, _"A ripple effect. It's like dropping a stone in a pond."_

Well, that simplified things for her.

"Yeah, a stone with a ten to the twelfth power wattage, _yeah_." Kid Flash snorted.

 _"So I'll need to hook it up to the cave's main generator."_

"And where is _that_ at?" Nightfall questioned. She wasn't sure if Robin could hear her, but she knew the speedster was. He made eye contact with her briefly, before shifting his gaze and head to look at the corner of the hangar.

There sat a large, cylindrical machine. It was floor to ceiling in length, and Nightfall could only assume that _that_ was the generator Robin and Artemis needed to attach the EMP up to.

 _Perfect._

* * *

 _"Four minutes."_

Nightfall stared up with the others, three sets of eyes gazing at the two androids as they stood up on the platform. Their lifeless eyes glowed red as they peered down at the trapped teens.

The waterbender's heart raced as the seconds continued to tick by, and a tension built up in the air. Nightfall swallowed thickly as she waited for Robin's orders. Her, Kid Flash, and Superboy were to make a distraction so him and Artemis could hook up the EMP and, hopefully, shut down the murderous bots.

Then this whole nightmare would be over.

 _I'm never celebrating my birthday_ again _._

 _"Okay,"_ Robin's voice crackled over the comm, _"Make with the distraction."_

"Hey, _Red Tomato_!" Kid Flash called out, a smile on his face, "Who's your girlfriend? _Red Onion_?" The two android's focus remained on the three heroes.

"Yeah! And by the way, _worst death trap ever_!" Superboy chimed in, "We can escape any time we want!" The clone taunted, and Nightfall wasn't sure whether to be comforted by the calmness the two seemed to exhibit or concerned.

She opened her mouth to join in on the mocking, as it seemed to be her turn to say something, but her voice caught in her throat and nothing would come out. Kid Flash glanced at the girl with concern, eyes tying to comfort her into saying something, but she still found her voice to not be working.

Instead, the speedster turned his attention back to the android's, not wanting to keep too long of a lull between jeers, "I can vibrate my molecules out of here before your _binary_ brains can count to two!"

"And you _can't_ drown a Kyrptonian, dumb bots! We don't breathe air."

"You see all this water?" Nightfall started as she slowly found her voice. It started off weak, but she tried to add in more confidence to, as she let out a jeering laugh, "This is _my_ element! The more water you give me, the _stronger_ I become! And I don't need my arms to control it. I can destroy you with it whenever I want!"

She _wished_ that was true. But alas, her arms were _very_ much necessary to control the water.

The androids didn't need to know that though.

"And Miss Martian?" Kid Flash took over after the waterbender, "I can't believe you're buying her _act_!"

"Yeah. You know how _hot_ it gets in the caves on _Mars_?" Superboy added onto his comment, "That cage is just making her _homesick_."

" _Duh_!" The speedster laughed, Superboy joining in on the mocking laughter.

Nightfall opened her mouth to make another searing remark, but instead a scream tore through her throat as she shouted, " _Robin, look out!_ "

A large tidal wave had built itself up from the large pool of water below, and it was making its way towards the boy wonder. Robin whirled around at the girl's pained scream, but it was too late, and the wave crashed roughly into him. It knocked him off the generator, the water consuming him and Nightfall lost sight of him.

She strained against her confinements once more, seemingly finding more strength as a rush of adrenaline washed over her body. Her face contorted in anguish as she desperately searched the waters for any sign of the boy wonder, while simultaneously missing the retreat Artemis was forced into.

The water around her sloshed violently as her emotions ran wild, and small chunks of ice began to form in the waters before the trio. Kid Flash and Superboy eyed the girl with surprise, mouths slightly agape. The disturbance alerted the attention of the female android, but she merely casted Nightfall a bored look, as the girl was still fully confined.

The male android lifted his arm up, a funnel of water raising up from the depths below. Nightfall stopped thrashing when she noticed who was inside. Robin lay still within the water, body lifeless and limp and she felt her heart drop.

Robin was dropped from the watery prison, body landing harshly on the platform above, and he slipped from Nightfall's view. The two androids loomed over the unconscious boy wonder as they shared a blank look.

 _If I get one birthday wish, it's that we all make it out of this_ alive.

* * *

 _"One minute."_

Death was soon upon them, and Nightfall could feel the fight further leaving her system. After her outburst upon Robin's capture, the adrenaline had disappeared from her system, and she was left with an overwhelming sense of tiredness.

She strained to keep her eyes open, but between the aching in her skull that had come back full force, and the soreness of her body from all her struggling, the girl was ready to slip into darkness. Nightfall did her best to fight this feeling of fatigue, however, but it was a losing battle.

"I surrender." Artemis's voice filled the air. Nightfall glanced up, but all she could see were the two androids and the top of the fire cage, "Stop the clock."

Nightfall shared a glance with Kid Flash, the two wondering what the archer was up to, before they returned their attention to the platform.

Artemis walked forward, head hung, and bow held out in her hands. Aqualad shifted from his position within the fire cage, and the two made subtle eye contact.

The next events to transpire were lost on Nightfall, as the water fully consumed her and the other two boys. She managed to suck in a deep breath, heart rate skyrocketing as a rush of water consumed her sense. They were each fully submerged underwater, left in the control of the element as their oxygen supplies became depleted.

Nightfall could normally hold her breath for longer than the average human, but after all the strain her body had taken throughout the whole ordeal, her lungs were screaming for air a mere few seconds after she was plunged under. The lack of oxygen caused her already fuzzy mind to grow even more weary and tired, body going numb.

She had always heard drowning was one of the worst ways to go.

The need for oxygen suddenly forced the girl's mouth open as her body tried to suck in a deep breath of air. Instead all she got was a mouthful of sea water. It was salty on her tongue, and she tried to spit it out of her mouth.

The next thing she knew, she could suddenly breathe again. Nightfall took in as deep of a breath as she possibly could, a great sense of relief washing over her. The relief was short lived however, as it was quickly replaced by confusion.

Instead of clearly seeing the platform and the hanger before her, it was hazy and distorted, almost like she was still underwater.

And that's when it hit her.

There was a _bubble_ around her head. They were still very much underwater, but this bubble provided her with air and let her breathe freely for the time being. Nightfall had no recollection of making the air bubble, nor did she know that she could make something like that, but it gave her air and that was all that mattered.

Until something else dawned on her.

Her head snapped towards Kid Flash and Superboy, Nightfall ignoring the pain in her head at the sudden movement, before her eyes widened. Through her air bubble she could see the two struggling as they continued to drown.

Dread washed over Nightfall as guilt filled her body. She had saved herself, but not her friends. The waterbender blew outwards in a vain attempt to increase her air bubble in hopes it would _at least_ encompass Kid Flash. She wanted to help Superboy too, of course, she wasn't a monster, but the speedster was way closer to her.

Nothing seemed to work, however, as the bubble around her head didn't move. It remained the same size and Nightfall screamed out.

The water level suddenly began to drop, her air bubble being burst as the water continued to move downwards. It eventually was completely depleted, the water slipping back into the little lagoon that sat before the hangar doors.

Nightfall tugged against her restraints once more, voice panicked as the two boys beside her sucked in deep breaths, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!"

Kid Flash glanced at the waterbender, noting her distraught expression and asked, in a confused tone, "What are you-"

The speedster was cut off, however, as Superboy called out, "Kaldur, how are you and M'gann?"

"She breathes." The Atlantean started, voice strained, "I believe she will recover. We both will." He turned his attention to the boy wonder, "And what of Robin?"

Nightfall could vaguely make out the top of Artemis as the archer cross the platform before she dropped to her knees beside Robin. There was a few second pause, the waterbender waiting for Artemis's response with bated breath.

"He-he's breathing too!" She finally announced, and Nightfall felt her body relax, eyes filling with relieved tears at the realization that they were all okay.

 _Maybe birthday wishes do come true_.

* * *

"Figured my only shot was to _surrender_ ," Robin explained as the group gathered around Superboy, Kid Flash, and Nightfall, who were still trapped within their confines, "pretend to drown before I actually did. Blacked out though." The boy wonder shrugged.

Nightfall shook her head, only to regret the movement immediately, as she glared at Robin, "We thought we _lost_ you."

Kid Flash grinned, "Man, Rob, you should've seen her _reaction_ to your 'drowning'. The water was going nuts, there was ice-"

"Don't make me hurt you." Nightfall suddenly cut in, voice dark as she avoided Robin's masked gaze.

"You _can't_ ," The speedster taunted with a shit eating grin, "We're still trapped." His friendly tone shifted into annoyance as he flashed a glare at Artemis, "At least, until _she_ quits playing with that thing and cuts us free!"

Artemis shot him a harsh glare, "It's not _working_ genius!" The two began to bicker and Nightfall _wished_ they would just _shut up_. The pounding in her skull hadn't relented. The pain came and went in waves, but the girl was pretty sure that just made it worse.

Robin glanced at Kid Flash, who's eyes were narrowed in a dangerous glare at the archer, before he shook his head and stepped closer to Nightfall. The waterbender glanced up at him as he approached.

The boy wonder noted her normally bright eyes were dull. They were filled with various emotions and pain, and he swallowed thickly, "You alright, Nighty?" Robin's voice was soft, as if knowing her head had ten thousand drummers going nuts in it.

"I-I think so." She admitted with a distant voice, "Though I can't feel my legs." Nightfall let out a soft laugh, and Robin managed a small smile.

The waterbender eyed Robin curiously as he lifted an arm up, bring his hand closer to her face as he gently pushed back a strand of soaked hair. His gloved fingers brushed up against the gash on her forehead, and Nightfall immediately flinched away at the tinge of pain that flared up.

"Sorry, sorry." Robin murmured, immediately pulling his hand back, "I just wanted to see how bad it was. I don't think it'll need stitches."

"I guess that's good." The waterbender huffed, blowing out a breath of air and puffing up her bangs, "but, how are you? You almost drowned."

"So did you." Robin shot back quickly.

"Touché."

"EMP shuts down _all_ machines, _remember_?"

Nightfall and Robin shared one last look before their mini convo was dropped as they focused back in on Artemis and Kid Flash's bickering. Aqualad looked ready to intervene, but Red Tornado showed up before he could do so.

"All machines present at the time." The android spoke as he flew towards the group. Nightfall flinched at his voice, as it was the same one the male android had. "What has occurred?" He asked as he landed before the worn out teens.

"Had a little visit from your _family_." Robin explain, a little snark in his voice before he glanced over at the two downed androids.

"Yeah, your extremely _nasty_ family." Artemis snapped.

"I was not aware I had relations." Red Tornado admitted as he walked over to the two androids.

"Where have _you_ been?" Superboy questioned with heat in his voice.

Nightfall knew the answer, but the friendly android beat her to it, "Monitor duty at the Watchtower. When it became clear that cave communications were down, I attempted to investigate, but your zeta tubes were also nonfunctional." Red Tornado further explained. He knelt down to examine his 'siblings', "I transported to Providence and proceeded here."

A familiar beeping and whirring noise filled the area as Sphere began to move. He twisted and turned in the crater in the wall he was stuck in before ultimately freeing himself. With a happy beep, he rolled up to Superboy.

"Hey boy." The clone greeted with a soft smile.

A bright beam of energy suddenly shot out from the laser in Artemis's hands, startling the archer.

With wide eyes, Robin and Kid Flash shared a look before exclaiming, "The pulse has worn off!" They turned their heads towards Red Tornado, who was reaching out towards the two androids.

Robin prepared a warning for the Leaguer, but he was too late as Red Tornado's hand made contact with the other androids. There was a zapping noise and a bright flash of light before the female android's eyes lit up red, which cause Red Tornado's to do the same.

The team watched as the Leaguer suddenly whirled around and lifted into the air. A red whirlwind of air twisted violently around him as he held out his arms. Two red funnels spun in a backwards direction, suctioning off the air from the area and creating an unbreathable vortex.

Nightfall gasped out, eyes going wide as, for the second time that day, she found herself unable to breathe. Only this time, she couldn't create an air bubble to give her air.

One by one the team began to fall. Miss Martian and Aqualad were the first to succumb, as they were already in a vastly weakened state due to the fire cage. Robin crashed to his knees before Nightfall, clutching his throat as he blearily looked up at the girl.

The edges of the waterbender's vision was tinted with darkness, and it was rapidly expanding as her mind dimmed. Darkness consumed her before her head lulled forward, the last thing she saw being an emotionless Red Tornado turning on the team.

* * *

 **SAN FRANSCISCO**

Dimitri frantically ran around her room, quickly putting together her outfit as she fumbled with her gift as well. She panted heavily as she looked for her cape, internally cursing herself for not paying closer attention to the time. It was Kayanna's birthday today, and M'gann had thrown together a little party for her. Due to Dimitri living in California, there was a three hour time difference between her and Rhode Island, and she was still getting used to the adjustment.

The spirit energy wielder finally found her cape. She quickly pulled it on and grabbed her gift before tearing out of her bedroom. She felt guilty she was going to be late for Kayanna's party, but between the time difference and her almost anxiety attack earlier, it was safe to say the girl was slightly out of her.

Her feet thudded against the floors of the hallway as she raced down it. Bursting into the kitchen, she took a deep breath as she faced her father before saying, "Ohmygods, dad, I'm _so_ sorry, but I totally forgot that I need to get to the cave! It's Kayanna's birth-" Dimitri began stuttering out her apology through short breaths, only to trail off as she noticed the grave expression etched onto her father's expression, his League communicator tightly gripped in his hand, "Dad?"

Aaron numbly turned towards her, unsure of how this devastating news would affect his already slightly emotionally compromised daughter. She stared at him with mild alarm and concern, and he sucked in a deep breath.

"Mount Justice was attacked."

 _And she wasn't there to help them_.

* * *

 **MOUNT JUSTICE**

"…anna… earth… Kayanna…"

Blurred and distorted voices danced through Nightfall's ears as consciousness began to take hold. The voices sound distant and far away as they continued to call her name, drawing her back towards reality. They faded in as they grew louder and the waterbender squeezed her eyes shut as she began to feel the pain in her mind once more.

"Kayanna, _panik_ , can you hear me?"

Nightfall shifted and groaned, a comforting hand finding purchase on her shoulder. She opened her eyes, blinking rapidly as the distorted figure of her father came into view. His brown eyes were wrought with concern, a relieved smile stretching across his lips.

" _Paappak_?" She murmured quietly, "What the- wh-what happened?"

"We were hoping you all could tell us." Nighttide responded softly.

Nightfall glanced up before looking around the cave. Her grogginess had subsided some, and the events of the night that had transpired suddenly came rushing back. They had been attacked by two androids baring similar signatures to Red Tornado, who, when he came to check up on the team, subsequently attacked them.

Flash appeared at the younger waterbender's side, the laser blaster in hand. He offered Nightfall a friendly smile as she stared up at him in confusion, still mildly out of it. With a warning for her to hold still while he worked, the laser started up as he worked to cut the girl out.

"She's alright!" Superman suddenly announced, and Nightfall glanced around her father to see the Man of Steel helping a groggy Artemis into a sitting position. Green Arrow was on her other side, a steady hand on his niece's shoulder as they helped her to her feet.

"Can you tell us what happened her?" Green Arrow as the younger archer.

" _What_ happened?" Artemis started, voice incredulous and strained, "The _Reds_ happened! Tornado and his-" The archer finally took note of her surroundings, eyeing the League members that were scurrying around the hangar and making repairs, as well as the ones that were crouched by their proteges. If the League was all here then where was-? "Wait, where are they?"

"Gone," Robin turned his attention away from his mentor, shoulders slumped and voice grave, "All three of them. Gone."

* * *

Nightlight paced back and forth in front of Kid Flash, the anxious feeling from earlier washing over her body as a few Leaguer's worked to get the speedster, Superboy, and Nightfall free. So far, the waterbender was the closest to being free.

The spirit energy wielder floated slightly into the air and opened her mouth to speak. No words came out, however, as Robin interrupted her, "This isn't your _fault_ Nightlight, you don't need to apologize again."

"But if I was-"

"If you were here, you might be _dead_." Kid Flash was the one who chimed in this time, "This bike is _filled_ with iron and we soaked in salt water for what felt like _hours_. You know what this stuff does to you." He offered the panicked girl a soft smile, "Trust us, Lighty, it was for the best that you weren't here."

Aqualad placed a hand on Nightlight's shoulder, "We are alright, my friend, you do not need to worry."

The girl deflated slightly. She wanted to protest and argue that she should've been there, but she knew it wasn't going to do much good. What happened had happened- and it happened with out her. Kid Flash was right though. All that iron and salt could've seriously hurt her.

Either way, she wouldn't have been much use to the team.

With a frustrated sigh, she turned her pink gaze towards Nightfall. The waterbender was flexing her arm- which was now free- as the Flash continued to work on freeing her.

"I'm sorry about your birthday party, Kayanna." Nightlight started, a genuine expression on her face.

Nightfall shrugged, glancing at the girl before casting her gaze away, "Oh, uh, don't worry about it. I've had worse birthdays."

Robin snorted, "Yeah? Like when?"

The waterbender pondered for a moment, mouth opening and closing before she shook her head, "Okay, you called my bluff."

Nighttide chuckled as he approached the two, Shadow Hunter in tow. He had a bowl of warm water in one hand and a soft rag in the other. He dipped the rag in the warm water before reaching out and gently rubbing it against the side of Nightfall's head, trying to wipe off some of the caked blood.

" _Daaaad_ ," She groaned, trying to pull her head away from him. Since half her body was still stuck, she couldn't move very far.

"Just sit still."

Nightfall huffed, but relented to her father nonetheless, "I just want to get _out_ of this thing."

"I think I can help with that," Shadow Hunter chuckled. He stepped forward and placed a gentle hand on Nightfall's shoulder. With some concentration, his glowing blue eyes brightened, and a weird sensation washed over the waterbender's body. It was like her body wasn't there, and she was suddenly incredibly cold.

The next thing she knew, Shadow Hunter had used his intangibility power to pull her the rest of the way out of the metal entrapment. She gasped as her body solidified herself, the weird and empty feeling washing away, only to be replaced with nausea and grogginess.

As Flash moved onto Kid Flash, Nightfall vaguely remembered Shadow Hunter mentioning how he- and Nightlight- couldn't use their intangibility powers to pull them through right away, as the iron concentration was too much. Once half of the waterbender's body had been freed, however, he was easily able to use his powers to get her the rest of the way out.

The feeling was incredibly off-putting, however, and she didn't want to experience that _ever_ again.

 _And had the room always been spinning?_

Nightfall stumbled forward, barely registering hands latching onto her arms as she swayed side to side. Voices called out to her, but her ears had suddenly seemed to stop working. Whereas she had felt slightly fine a few seconds ago, it was like the strain on her body from Shadow Hunter's powers had suddenly escalated the weary feelings she had felt on and off all night.

All at once her legs gave out, Robin and Nighttide catching the girl before she could land on the ground. Her eyes rolled into the back of her head, vision going dark as her mind faded away once again.

 _Happy birthday to you… Happy birthday to you… Happy birthday dear Nightfall… Happy birthday to you._

* * *

 **A/N: Hey guys! Terribly sorry this took awhile. Like I said in the last Author's Note, I was hit with a pretty bad bout of writer's block. I really want to get better at updating so I can finish up s1 and move onto s2 and then hopefully s3, but I'm not sure that's ever going to happen.**

 **I WILL, of course, finish s1 and this story.**

 **Thank you all for being amazing and patient! I truly appreciate it!**

 **Page count:** 25

 **Word count:** 11,078

 **Hopefully this extra long chapter is enough to tide you all over until the next chapter! This one was fun to write~! I wanted to put my own unique twist on it, and what better way to do so than to make it Kayanna's birthday and that's why everyone was gathering at the cave! lmao**

 **Also, if the parts with Dimitri don't really seem like my writing, that's because they're not! I tweaked things here and there, but I got my friend- who owns Dimitri- to write a little bit for her for this chapter! I want to make sure that you guys get to know her as well because Dimitri is such an amazing OC.**

 **This chapter was also meant to build up some canon/oc relationships too~**

 **And I think that's all! Don't forget to drop a review and let me know what ya'll think! I love hearing from you 33**

 **-SnowWolf22**

* * *

 **Headcanon corner:** Kayanna is teaching Dick ASL. Nightfall and Robin sign fluently with each other.

(I want to try and add in some random HCs to the bottom of each chapter for you guys~! Sometime HCs are hard to show _in_ a chapter- so I'll place them here!)


	10. Alpha Male

**Young Justice is not mine.**

* * *

 **Alpha Male**

 _"A true leader has confidence to stand alone, the courage to make tough decisions, and the compassion to listen to the needs of others."_

\- Douglas McArthur

* * *

 **MOUNT JUSTICE**

Nightfall didn't have a concussion, and that was blessed news to the girl.

On the flipside, however, Robin had been wrong about the gash on her forehead and she did, in fact, need a few stitches. Five to be precise. This wasn't her first encounter with stitches, but she still found them incredibly uncomfortable.

And itchy.

After waking up in a panic in the med-bay, disoriented and in pain, Black Canary had done a medical check-up on the girl after getting her to calm down. The fact of the matter was, who knew Black Canary was _also_ adept in medicine like she was in fighting? Once Nightfall was deemed good to go, she was sent on her way to meet up with the others.

They were gathered in the mission room, huddled around a table and each looking various shades of depressed. She noted that Nightlight was absent, and Aqualad was in the corner with Batman, no doubt talking leader to leader.

Robin had perked up as soon as the waterbender walked into the mission room, and Kid Flash made a quip about it. The boy wonder ignored his speedster friend and scooted over, making space for Nightfall between himself and Artemis. She slipped into the spot, tossing out a quick 'I'm okay' when asked how she was.

Silence lingered in the room as tensions ran high. Nightfall ignored the others as she played with a stray balloon she had found on her walk from the med-bay to the mission room. She wasn't sure how it had gotten all the way there from the common room, but she guessed it didn't really matter.

Nightfall didn't really know a lot of things about what happened last night.

The poor balloon in her grasp looked how the girl felt: _hell._

It was a blue color, slightly deflated and singed, but miraculously hanging onto life.

 _"Synchronizing cave security protocol with Watchtower mainframe."_

The lights in the cave suddenly flickered back to life, Nightfall not paying them much mind. A few Justice Leaguers flew about overhead, busying themselves with fixing the various dings and dents the Reds reign of terror had left behind. She assumed the Leaguer's working down in the hangar had fixed up the generator.

Nighttide, flanked on either side by Green Arrow and Black Canary, approached the sullen teens, snacks in tow. Nightlight trailed alongside the Leaguer's, a soft frown on her face as she took in their dejected forms. She still felt guilty that she hadn't been there to help them against the Reds, but the logical side of her understood she wouldn't have been much help.

The older waterbender set a bowl of pretzels down on the table, passing a sullen gaze over the gathered group of teens. His eyes settled on his daughter, but Nightfall's gaze was still casted downwards and focused on the shriveled balloon she had picked up. Nighttide felt a pang in his heart as he noted the stitches on her forehead and dejected look upon her face, but he hid it behind an expressionless demeanor.

Kid Flash glanced up, eyeing the pretzels before shaking his head, "Thanks, but _no_ thanks. Not in the mood for your _pity_ pretzels."

Nighttide frowned and crossed his arms. He left the bowl sitting in front of the teens, as he knew the speedster didn't speak for the group and the others could be hungry as well. The waterbender understood Kid Flash's annoyance and anger, and in his position, Nighttide would probably feel the same way.

They faced hell last night.

Nightfall reached forward and snagged a pretzel before popping it into her mouth and crunching softly. At the same time, Nightlight stepped forward. She placed a large plate on the table, "Are you in the mood for some cake?"

The question caught the group's attention and Nightfall quirked a brow. Nightlight wrung her hands together, looking rather sheepish before nodding at the plate.

Sat upon it was a small, chocolate cake. It was frosted with a light dusting of blue sprinkles.

"I-I saw the remains of the cake Miss M had originally baked," The spirit energy wielder began explaining, "There was an extra box of cake mix and I figured I'd make a quick cake to try and cheer you guys up…" She trailed off unsurely.

Truth be told, while the team recuperated in the mission room, Nightlight had to excuse herself as she was wrought with guilt. She had found her way into the kitchen, where she discovered the destroyed and burnt remains of the cake Miss Martian had originally baked for Nightfall. When she discovered more cake fixings, Nightlight had the sudden urge to bake.

It proved to be a good distraction, and it put a small smile on Nightfall's face.

The waterbender opened her mouth to thank Nightlight, but before she could utter a single word, the scowling boy wonder beside her beat her to the punch, "I- _we_ \- want answers, _not_ cake." Nightfall's smile fell.

The pink-eyed girl frowned at Robin's tone, shrinking back slightly as Black Canary stepped forward. She placed a hand on Nighlight's shoulder, giving it a comforting squeeze before turning her blue eyes towards Robin, "The League understands how traumatizing last night was but-"

"But _what_?" Artemis cut in, grey eyes flashing darkly, "We want _answers_ about Red Tornado and his siblings."

"Artemis," Green Arrow warned softly. Artemis glared at him, but dropped her eyes after a few seconds to stare angrily at the table.

Nighttide sighed, "You need to have patience. The League wants answers as well, and Batman has placed it as the League's highest priority. Red Tornado-"

The elder waterbender didn't get a chance to finish his sentence as Superboy suddenly flung himself across the room, voice roaring, "You _KNEW?_ "

The sudden commotion shifted the heavy tone in the room, and Nightfall shot to her feet as the clone grabbed Aqualad by his shirt collar. The team watched, with wide and confused eyes, as Superboy pinned their leader to the wall. Even though Aqualad could easily take down the boy of steel, he remained calm as Superboy restrained and berated him.

"That android and his _maniac_ family nearly _killed_ everyone!"

"Conner!" Miss Martian cried out, flying towards the irate clone, "What are you doing?"

Superboy's scowl deepened and Nightfall's gaze hardened into a glare as she attempted to activate her non-existent laser vision. Nightlight flew closer towards the commotion as well, ready to place herself between the two.

"Kaldur knew we had a traitor among us and said _nothing_!"

The waterbender's gaze melted into confusion and hurt as she processed the clone's words, "Y-you _knew?_ " She voiced softly.

"And didn't _tell_ us?!" Kid Flash chimed in angrily.

Aqualad tried to place a calming hand on Superboy's own, but his grip only tightened, "I sought to protect the team from-"

"Protect us from _what_?" Artemis butted in, "Knowledge that could have _saved_ our lives?"

"We're supposed to be a _team_." Robin shook his head.

Nightfall wanted to speak up, to get Aqualad to tell them _why_ he did what he did, but she found her voice suddenly gone as she processed everything that was going on. She had come to consider Aqualad a good friend, and someone she could look to as a brother figure, so this whole thing felt like a huge betrayal.

Nightlight finally wiggled her way in between Aqualad and Superboy. She flashed the clone a dark glare, pink eyes brightening with the subtle threat of using her powers to get him off their leader. Superboy relented and released the Atlantean. Aqualad straightened himself out, doing his best to remain stoic and strong as the Kryptonian glared at him harshly.

It wasn't that Nightlight was okay with Aqualad keeping the mole a secret from them, but she liked to consider herself to be a reasonable person. It hurt to know their leader- and someone she considered a close friend- would keep this information from her. However, this was Aqualad they were talking about. The Atlantean was of sound mind and would never make a decision lightly.

" _We_ almost _died_!" Superboy roared in anger, "And you-"

" _Enough_."

Batman's voice cut through the anger in the room, and the team turned to face him. An uncomfortable silence settled on the room as the dark knight studied the gathered protégés, eyeing them each with his steely gaze. The tension in the room continued to increase, Aqualad taking the brunt of the anger as various angry gazes leveled him with dark glares once more.

It all continued to build until-

 ** _POP._**

The sudden noise decimated the awkward silence and all eyes turned towards the source.

Nightfall stood, with wide eyes, at the back of the group. The remains of her singed balloon resting in her trembling hands and at her feet. She shakily looked down at her hands before shyly looking up at the various eyes that were upon her. "S-sorry." The waterbender managed to squeak out. Kid Flash, who was nearest to the girl, wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

Batman cleared his throat, drawing the attention back to himself, "With Red Tornado… _missing_ , the team will now be overseen by rotating supervisors. Captain Marvel has volunteered to take the first shirt."

A tall, burly man stepped forward. He had broad shoulders and was wearing a red, white, and yellow uniform. A childlike smile was stretched across his face, the expression being grossly out of place for the atmosphere in the room, "I'm _really_ looking forward to hanging with you guys!"

Nightfall frowned. She remembered her father telling her about Captain Marvel. Nighttide wasn't really a fan.

Superboy scowled and glanced back at Aqualad, a murderous look upon his face, "After I dismantle Red Tornado, you and I are going to-"

"Red Tornado is a member of the _Justice League_ ," The dark knight cut in, leveling the snarling clone with his famous batglare, "That makes him a _League_ responsibility. You _will_ leave him to us. For the time being, I have another assignment for this team."

Nighttide stepped forward, a deep frown on his face, "Do you think sending them on another mission so soon is a good idea?" His gaze landed on his daughter, who still looked rather out of things.

"Yes," was Batman's simple response. In other circumstances, Nighttide might've argued more with the dark knight, but now was neither the time nor the place.

Batman turned away when the waterbender didn't say anything more and activated the computer. Several newspaper clippings and an image of a gorilla appeared onscreen, and Nightfall eyed the images with mild confusion, the headline 'Gorilla Trades Bananas for Bullets' catching her attention.

"Gotham Mayor attacked by Guerilla Gorilla?" Kid Flash read aloud; voice laced with annoyance as his arm fell from Nightfall's shoulder.

 _'Was this the_ only _thing he could find to distract us?'_ Superboy asked over the psychic link.

Robin glanced at the clone before stepping forward, voicing the question that was on everyone's mind, "Batman, please! Tell me you're _not_ sending us on this joke of a wild ape chase."

Batman leveled him with a firm glare, and Robin shrank back, "I _never_ joke about the mission." The boy wonder's eyes widened before he glanced down, silent anger radiating off him in waves. Nightfall felt the urge to comfort him, but stayed still in her spot, "I've checked the sources, and I've studied the patterns. Mayor Hill's encounter is only the latest in a series of incidents," He shifted his body to look at Aqualad, "Aqualad, you and your team will depart for India and check this out."

Aqualad nodded his head in confirmation.

"Tch. _Your_ team." Kid Flash scoffed as him and the others began to leave the mission room. Nightfall watched as they began to leave, uncertainty filling her body as she spared a sorrowful look towards Aqualad.

His seafoam eyes met her ocean blue. The Atlantean looked rather apologetic, as well as unsure and downcast, but he tried to hide it under a mask of strength. Nightfall shook her head, hands clenching at her sides before she turned to leave the mission room.

"Nightfall." A cool voice called out. Said girl turned, eyeing her father with saddened eyes as he stepped forward, "I don't think-"

" _Don't_." The younger waterbender managed to find her voice, "Please." She knew her father was less than pleased with the idea of her going on a mission so soon after nearly _dying_ , but she wasn't going to stay back, "I don't need you not trusting me _either_."

Nighttide looked ready to say something more, but Nightfall had already turned her back to him, and any more words he spoke would fall on her deaf ears.

* * *

 **NORTHERN INDIA**

Nightfall's fingers thrummed against the console in front of her, cheek resting heavily on her open palm as she stared blankly out the bioship window. A heavy silence had settled upon the team, one filled with lingering resentment and awkwardness. The only one ignorant to this tension, however, was Captain Marvel.

The Justice Leaguer had been eager to tag along with the team on their trek to India, and he was the only one to feel this way. He bounced in his seat, cheerfully calling out shapes of clouds as they passed by outside, blissfully unaware of the rising tensions within the bioship. Nightfall wished she had his cheery attitude, as it would make the prospects of this mission seem a whole lot better, but she found it hard to even perk up.

Unsureness still riddled her gut, and her heart felt heavy.

Nightfall did her best to tune Captain Marvel out, but jumped in her seat as a different voice called out, "Destination approaching." Miss Martian spoke, voice lacking her normal chipper tone.

Aqualad nodded before standing up. He turned to Robin and Artemis, but the two were already standing. Without a single word, the two attached lines to their belts, and disappeared through the hole Miss Martian created to scout the region below. The Atlantean frowned as he watched his teammates disappear into darkness.

A part of him should've been proud the team seemed to the point where dictation wasn't necessarily needed, but he knew their silence was more of spite than it was progress.

Nightfall stood up from her own seat and crossed her arms. She glanced around the bioship, noting her teammates to be in similar positions as her own, and each avoiding eye contact with their leader. A signal sounded within the ship, and Miss Martian steered it towards the ground.

Once landed, a hatch opened, revealing a seemingly endless swathe of Indian jungle. A soft breeze rustled the nearby trees, casting a cool haze over the otherwise humid night. Nightfall found herself sticking close to Nightlight as they exited the bioship, Artemis and Robin turning back to approach the group.

"All clear." The hacker reported.

Aqualad tilted his head in acknowledgement, "Switch to stealth, and we will review mission parameters."

Nightfall pressed the moon logo on her chest, the lighter blues in her suit darkening as other members of the team activated their own stealth suits. Kid Flash scoffed as his yellow was consumed by gray, " _Parameters_? We don't need no stinkin' parameters."

"It's _recon_ ," Robin rolled his eyes, "We know what to do."

The waterbender was slightly taken aback by the tone of the boy wonder's voice. It was more hostile and harsh than she had ever heard it, but she could tell it stemmed from how hurt he was.

And to be honest, she could relate.

Robin and Kid Flash began to walk off, Aqualad stepping forward. He reached for the duo, "Kid, Robin-"

"The _four_ of us started this team," The hacker began, cutting Aqualad off with a glare, "because the Justice League was keeping secrets from _us._ "

Nightfall felt a slight pang when Robin only said _four_ , despite her having been on their fateful Cadmus mission as well, but she also recognized that she didn't immediately join the team. That, and she knew he didn't mean any harm with his words.

" _Or_ did you forget that? Like you forgot to tell us about the _mole_?" Kid Flash chimed in snidely.

Aqualad looked crestfallen and dejected at their words, but didn't stop them as they turned away once more. He looked slightly hopeful, however, when the speedster paused and looked back over his shoulder. Instead of making eye contact with the Atlantean, he called out to Nightlight, "Light, you coming?"

The girl in question looked hesitant. On one hand she wanted to follow Aqualad's orders, as he was _still_ their leader, but the other part of her was also hurt and angry. With a shake of her head she lifted off the ground, mumbling something about how she'd keep an eye on them as she flew after the two proteges.

Together, the trio disappeared into the jungle, leaving their broken team behind.

The silence they left behind didn't linger long, however, as Superboy suddenly cried out, "Come on, I'll keep you safe." He latched onto Miss Martian's arm, the girl looking shocked and angry as she glared at her boyfriend.

The Martian tore her arm out of his grip, glaring harshly up at him. Nightfall watched them awkwardly from the sidelines as the two seemed to share a mental conversation.

"I-I just want to protect you…" Superboy stammered out hesitantly.

Artemis scowled, "Like _Aqualad_ protected us?" The archer stormed up to the clone, pressing her bow to his chest and lightly pushing him away, "I'm not sure _your_ protection or your _patronizing_ is good for _our_ health."

With one last glare, Artemis spun on her heel, Miss Martian in tow, as the two headed towards the jungle. Nightfall wrung her hands and chewed her lip, unsure of where to proceed from here. As if sensing her hesitation, the archer paused in her departure to glance over her shoulder, "Come on, Nightfall, the boys can protect _each other_."

The waterbender eyed Artemis, who was looking at her expectantly, before she spared a glance at Aqualad. They made eye contact, the Atlantean's seafoam eyes full of guilt. He was looking at her almost pleadingly as Nightfall took a step towards the only other females on the team, "Nightfall, plea-" He started, only for the girl to cut him off with a shake of her head.

"I-I'm sorry."

And with that, she spun on her heel and raced after Artemis and Miss Martian, the trio disappearing into the jungle and leaving their distrustful leader behind.

Nightfall lagged behind Artemis and Miss Martian, the latter who was leading the small group and using her telekinesis to move stray branches out of their way. The jungle was thick with brush and trees, which made it hard to traverse through at times. Artemis was seething as they trekked forward, mumbling incoherent things to herself. Occasionally her voice was loud enough for the waterbender to catch a word or two, and based on what she did hear, the archer didn't have anything pleasant to say right now.

Miss Martian moved a particularly large branch out of their way, revealing a wide river ahead. It glistened in the moonlight, and though Artemis and Miss Martian approached the river banks, Nightfall found herself suddenly frozen as she stared at the enchanting water.

She seized up as panic flooded her system, breathe coming in quick bursts. Whereas the sight of water was normally calming to the _waterbender_ , after last night's catastrophe- where she almost _drowned_ in her element- it had the opposite effect on her.

Nightfall wanted to run back into the jungle and get as far away from the water as possible.

Artemis noticed the small group was lacking their third member and turned around, hands on her hips as she called out, "Nightfall, you alright?"

"I-I'm fine." She stuttered, tearing her gaze from the water to stare back at the archer, "Where, uh, where to now?"

Artemis looked less than convinced but shrugged it off. She glanced at Miss Martian, offering up, "We can follow the river? At least the banks would be clearer?"

Nodding, Miss Martian opened her mouth. "That sounds-"

"B-but the jungle's stealthier?" Nightfall intervened. She twiddled her thumbs as she glanced nervously between her two teammates and the water. She had never felt this way about the water, and she hated it, but she hated the fact that she couldn't seem to get over it more.

Artemis stepped closer to the water and Nightfall had to force herself to _not_ move her away from the river. The archer glanced downstream and then upstream before facing the other girl, "I don't think stealth matters here. We're just-"

The river suddenly erupted, a scream ripping from Nightfall's throat at the sudden commotion. An alligator came barreling from the water, large jaws snapping and teeth glistening in the moonlight. Its skin was rippling and cracked, its body twice the size of a normal alligator. Nightfall didn't have much of a chance to further study it as it suddenly launched itself at her.

Her body shifted backwards automatically to avoid the creature, and it just barely missed her as she dropped to the ground to avoid its enormous chompers. It snarled angrily and whipped around, snapping its powerful jaws at the waterbender as she scrambled backwards.

Nightfall spared a glance to her right, hoping to find one of her teammates ready to help her out, but Artemis was nowhere to be seen, and Miss Martian was scrambling to fight off another monstrous alligator. That left the girl to her own devices, and she wasn't super confident in her odds against the monstrous beast.

 _Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit._

Panic bubbled up within the waterbender as the alligator loomed closer towards her. She shifted backwards, only to find her back suddenly pressed against the base of a tree. The alligator lunged for Nightfall once more and she frantically dove to the side. The jaws of the creature latched onto the tree she had once been pressed against.

The beast thrashed about as it tried to dislocate itself from the tree. The tree snapped and crackled as its base was shredded, bits and pieces of ripped off wood flying in various directions. Nightfall managed to jump to her feet just as the alligator finished shredding the tree apart. As it turned towards the girl, she whipped out her bō staff, hands shaking as she held it at the ready.

It launched itself at the waterbender once more, and Nightfall lashed out with her weapon. It caught in the alligator's mouth, holding its jaws apart, but her staff proved weak against the powerful- and oversized- jaws of the beast as it made quick work of her defense.

The staff snapped in two with a loud _clang_ , and the brief thought of owing Robin a thousand apologies for destroying his generous gift flitted across her mind. However, she couldn't dwell on it too much as the alligator backed Nightfall up into a tree. She glanced around for her options and noted the glistening water, just waiting for her command. Doing her best to push her feelings of last nights events to the side, the waterbender extended her arm outwards, an attempt to call the water towards herself.

The water ignored her call.

With its prey petrified and pinned down, the alligator moved in for the kill once more. Nightfall snapped her eyes shut, the inside of the beast's mouth becoming seared into her memory forever.

There was a thud, and when death didn't find the girl, she hesitantly opened her eyes.

The alligator was suddenly gone.

"Nightfall!" Miss Martian called out, floating over to the petrified waterbender, "Are you okay?" She looked at her friend in genuine concern, and only when Nightfall went to answer did she realize just how short of breath she was.

"I-I'm f-fine." She managed to breath out, eyes scanning the area. The alligator that had attacked her- and another one- were in a tangled pile and buried beneath a few trees. Nightfall could only assume that had been the work of Miss Martian's telekinetic abilities.

The Martian didn't look convinced by her friend's answer, but a realization dawned on her so she commented on it instead, "Where's Artemis?"

Sure enough, the archer was no where in sight. It was enough to cause Nightfall to panic once more, and Miss Martian helped the girl to her feet as they looked around the area. The Martian suddenly bent over, clasping her head in pain, and Nightfall placed a questioning hand on her shoulder.

"Artemis!"

"M'gann?" She hesitantly asked, and her teammate glanced up at her with wide eyes.

"She's under the water!"

They exchanged wide-eyed looks before whipping around to race towards the water's edge. Combined with the darkness and the already murky waters of the jungle, Nightfall couldn't make out anything before her. Her heart hammered in her chest, her mind screaming at her to jump in, but her feet just wouldn't move.

Miss Martian looked towards the waterbender, fully expecting her to dive right in and use her powers to save their drowning teammate. However, what she wasn't expecting, was the hesitation and fear that radiated off Nightfall in waves as she eyed the cool liquid before them. Considering her powers were water, Miss Martian was confused by these feelings her comrade had, but she didn't have much time to further deliberate them as Artemis called out in her mind once more.

A sudden splash broke Nightfall from her momentary trance, and she looked over to see that Miss Martian was no longer standing beside her. She turned back towards the water just in time to see her figure disappear beneath the murky surface.

Time seemed to tick by slowly as Nightfall stared at the water, but within a matter of seconds, the water suddenly erupted. The alligator that had attacked Artemis was launched into the air before it landed roughly in the jungle and slinked away. Miss Martian hovered in the air above where the water erupted, four arms outstretched, as she commanded the water to go around herself and Artemis. The archer was hunched over on the riverbed, hacking away and Nightfall called out to her.

"A-Artemis! Are you okay?"

The blonde looked up, annoyance at the situation flashing in her eyes, "I'll be fine, but nearly drowning _two nights_ in a row is _way_ less fun than it sounds." Nightfall wasn't sure whether to laugh at the archer's comment or not, so she settled for an awkward smile, "Now get me _out_ of this river before another _stupid_ alligator attacks us!"

Miss Martian complied with a silent nod, and as Nightfall watched her fly the two back towards land, she couldn't help the guilty feeling that washed over her.

Even when the life of her teammate was in danger, she couldn't get over her fear or trauma or _whatever_ it was that was currently affecting her to _help._

The waterbender darted towards the two of them as soon as they landed on the shore, apologies tumbling out of her mouth as she nearly crushed the blonde in a hug.

"Woah, woah, woah, Nightfall, slow down." Artemis attempted to calm the babbling girl, as well as pry herself out of Nightfall's grip. She hadn't realized how _strong_ the younger girl _actually_ was, "Why are you apologizing?"

"Because- because-" The girl looked down at her hands, twisting them awkwardly before heaving a heavy sigh to meet Artemis's confused gaze, "I-I couldn't use my powers to save you because they've been off since last night and if M'gann hadn't been here to save you and- and-"

Artemis looked befuddled for a moment before placing a hand on Nightfall's shoulder, effectively shutting her up, "Don't sweat it, Kayanna. Last night was…" The archer pursed her lips, glancing away for a second before looking back at the girl before her, "it was traumatizing for all of us, yeah…"

"But-"

"It's _fine_ , Kayanna, really."

Artemis's voice was firm, but she didn't intend to be harsh. Talking about feelings just wasn't her forte, and she may have been slightly reeling still from almost drowning _again_. Nightfall- thankfully- took the hint and dropped the topic.

Miss Martian walked back up to the duo, the archer's quiver in her hands. She passed it to Artemis, who sat down on a nearby log- that was _away_ from the river- and began to empty it of water. Unfortunately, it appeared as if she had lost most of her arrows.

With Artemis distracted for a moment, the Martian placed a hand on Nightfall's shoulder, and in a hushed voice spoke, "We're all hurting from last night, Kayanna." She nodded her head towards Artemis, who wore a sullen frown as she harshly shook her upside-down quiver up and down, "Despite her outwards appearance, Artemis is as well, but we're all here for each other, and that's what matters."

Nightfall's shoulders sagged as she exhaled deeply, "Thanks, M'gann. I just-" She looked down at her hands, "don't understand why I feel this way towards my powers. They're supposed to help me…"

"And we can figure that out together to," She comforted, "but for now, we should get back to the mission. The others may have been attacked as well."

Nightfall nodded and Artemis stood up from her log, slinging her quiver back into place before approaching the two. She eyed them suspiciously, "Did I miss something?"

"We were just-"

"Talking about how the alligators that attacked us were wearing inhibitor collars like those used at Belle Reve Penitentiary." Miss Martian cut the waterbender off.

Nightfall noticed Artemis momentarily stiffen at the mention of the inescapable prison, but it was such a quick motion, that she wasn't sure if she had _actually_ seen the movement or not. As quick as she had stiffened, Artemis had already relaxed and donned a slightly defensive posture, "That doesn't seem right. What are _those_ things doing in the middle of the Indian jungle?"

"I don't know, but I should contact Aqualad and inform him of this development."

Artemis scoffed, " _Please_ , we can do this mission without him."

"He's still our leader…" Nightfall shyly added, rubbing her arm, and Artemis grumbled incoherently at the reminder. Miss Martian shook her head before stepping away, eyes glowing momentarily as she established a link with Aqualad.

Nightfall absentmindedly kicked at a rock, watching as it skipped away. Artemis had sat back down on a nearby log, and judging by her pose and expression, she was in _no_ mood for a conversation, which left the waterbender to her own devices as Miss Martian filled their leader in on what had occurred.

 _This mission was going_ swimmingly.

With some time to herself, Nightfall glanced down at her water pouch. She chewed her lower lip and raised a hesitant hand. She took great care in slowly popping open the lid, even though she knew the force of her water would easily do it for her. The waterbender sucked in a deep breath, blue eyes slipping shut as she tried to calm her mind to focus.

With a flick of her wrist, she attempted to remove the water from the pouch. Her eyes slowly opened, unsure of what to expect but hoping her powers were cooperating with her.

Eyes now fully opened, an excited smile stretched across her lips. Before her outstretched hand was the water from her pouch. It hovered in the air messily, shape wavy and uneven, and unlike the normal smooth bubbles she could hold the water in.

It was a small sign her control wasn't at full compacity, but it was a decent start.

 _'Link established.'_

The sudden voice in her mind caused Nightfall to jump, and her limited control over the water wavered before ultimately collapsing. The water fell to the jungle floor with a small splash. She frowned.

 _'Should you really still be giving us orders?'_ Artemis hissed, standing up from her log and crossing her arms in a defiant manner. She flashed an annoyed glare towards Miss Martian, _'And should you_ really _be following them?'_

 _'Listen, please-'_ Aqualad tried.

 _'Oh goodie!'_ Kid Flash sarcastically chimed in, _'Aqualad's voice in my head. I've_ so _missed that.'_

 _'I certainly haven't missed_ yours _in my head.'_ Nightfall shot back with an eye roll. She hadn't actually meant to say that in the mind link, but her mind wasn't exactly her _own_ right now.

 _'Nighty! Who's side are you on-'_

 _'Hey Kaldur!'_ Robin chimed in, voice irritated and cold, _'KF, Light and I were attacked by giant vultures. 'Course since we're the_ moles _, you probably think we attacked ourselves.'_

 _'Don't drag_ me _into this.'_ Nightlight snapped. There was a muffled _ow_ in the mind link, and Nightfall assumed Robin had been smacked.

 _'If he did, he wouldn't tell you!'_

 _'Superboy, are you online or just pouting?'_

A few seconds of silence passed before there was a grunt, _'Busy, call back later.'_

Nightfall ran a hand through her hair, shaking her head as the others continued to bicker in her mind. She was irked at Kaldur for sure, but this was just giving her a headache.

"Hey, M'gann," She asked allowed, catching the Martian off guard.

Miss Martian glanced at her, "Yes?"

"Can I hang up on a mind link?"

"No."

Nightfall frowned, "Bummer."

 _'What gets me is how nonchalant he is about not telling us!'_ Kid Flash continued to complain, adding more fuel to the fire.

Robin was quick to continue with the 'wail on Aqualad party', _'He should be chalant! Way chalant!_ Extremely _chalant!'_

 _'You can say chalant as many times as you want, but that does_ not _make it a word!'_ Nightlight snapped.

From beside Nightfall, Artemis gestured madly, brows furrowed harshly, _'How can we be a team if he doesn't trust us with his_ secrets _?'_

 _'Or if Conner doesn't trust us to take care of ourselves?'_

 _'Did he really think any of us could've been the mole?'_ Nightfall assumed Kid Flash had directed _that_ rhetorical question at Robin and Nightlight.

 _'We've known each other for years!'_

 _'Then we should_ trust _Kaldur hid this from us for a reason!'_ Nightlight chimed in once more, trying to be the voice of reason.

 _'Well trust is a two-way street,'_ Miss Martian shot back, _'and you_ know _that they'd hate it if we kept secrets from them!'_

 _'Not that we'd do that._ Ever _.'_ Artemis was quick to respond. Nightfall glanced at the girl with a quirked brow, but she was looking in the opposite direction.

The bickering only grew stronger and louder. Nightfall paced back and forth, watching as Artemis and Miss Martian made wild hand gestures as the arguments in their minds carried on.

 _'Enough!'_ Aqualad's voice tore through the mind link. The bickering instantly ceased, and Nightfall shared a surprised look with her two teammates, ' _Captain Marvel has been captured and we must act as a_ team _to save him.'_

 _'Under_ your _leadership? I don't think-'_ Kid Flash scoffed.

With a firm and steady voice, Aqualad prevented anymore bickering from breaking out, _'This is not up for debate. You all chose_ me _to lead. When this mission is over, if you wish to select a new leader, I will_ happily _step down. But until that time, I am in command here. Captain Marvel is in danger, and under my leadership, we will_ rescue _him. Meet me at the rendezvous point ASAP. Is that clear?'_

The- slightly shocked- voices of the team chorused various 'clears' together in acknowledgement.

 _'Good.'_

* * *

Once the team had reconvened, they immediately set off on the trail of Captain Marvel. Whoever had taken the Leaguer had left behind footprints, and incredibly _large_ footprints at that. Robin had surmised they belonged to the accurately dubbed _Guerilla Gorilla_ , but what the oversized primate who had once attacked Mayor Hill wanted with Captain Marvel was besides the team.

With help from the boy wonder's holo-computer, they were able to track the footprints back to a small building nestled within a small clearing. Nightfall found herself tucked behind a bush, Robin and Kid Flash beside her, as the team surveyed the building from afar.

They didn't see any guards- animal _or_ human- patrolling the perimeter, and the area was relatively silent, save for the natural noises of the vast jungle that surrounded them. The building itself was rather dingy, overgrown with vines and other plants. Surrounding the building were what appeared to be pylons, but what purpose they served was beyond Nightfall.

 _'Nightlight and I will fly over, survey the area.'_ Miss Martian announced. She was in camouflage mode in a tree just behind Nightfall, with an invisible Nightlight beside her.

Robin was typing away on his holo-computer, which was currently scanning the building before them as Kid Flash slipped his goggles onto his face, _'Negatory,'_ The speedster replied, _'The building is surrounded by a forcefield.'_

 _'Pylons are insulated,'_ Robin tacked on, _'but one good shock could cause a momentary gap.'_

Artemis's eyes narrowed, bow drawn back as she aimed an arrow at the building, _'I see a target.'_

 _'Then be ready to hit it. Be ready,_ all of you _.'_ Aqualad's voice was firm as he slipped out of their cover. He darted through the tallgrass and approached the hidden forcefield cautiously. His tattoos began to grow brightly, and once near a pylon, he reached forward. Static and electricity crackled at his fingertips as he gripped at the protective barrier. For a few seconds nothing seemed to be happening, but then a small hole began to form in the shield.

 _'Now!_ ' Kid Flash called out, and Artemis released her arrow. It shot through the air, sailing smoothly and slipping effortlessly through the gap Aqualad had created. It hit its target, landing on a small button and disengaging the forcefield. The Atlantean grunted as he honed his powers in, the shield fading, and he waved the rest of the team forward.

Kid Flash zipped ahead, and Nightfall saw the faint outline of Miss Martian behind him. She pushed through the brush alongside Robin as the team made their way towards Aqualad, but the boy wonder suddenly grabbed onto her arm. The waterbender glanced at him curiously before following his gaze, as he was looking upwards in concern.

A monkey- that had _not_ been there before- was sat on top of the building, staring blankly at the gathered teens. Before Robin or Nightfall could utter a single warning, the monkey opened his mouth and began to _scream_ at the top of its lungs.

The noise was unnerving, and suddenly sirens started wailing and flashing as more and more monkeys poured in from the top of the building and the jungle. Nightfall tensed up, the rest of the team finding themselves in fighting stances as well as the monkeys charged towards them.

In a strange turn of events, the team found themselves in a battle against an army of _monkeys_. Nightfall kicked away a monkey that charged at her, ducking down as another one launched itself her way. The monkey sailed over her head before landing on the ground behind her, and the girl whirled around. It snarled at her, large teeth glistening in the moonlight.

"Remove their collars!" Aqualad suddenly shouted out over the sound of battle.

Nightfall grunted as the monkey slammed into her chest, her arms coming up to grasp it. She fought against it as it tried to bite and claw at it, the girl reeling backwards to avoid its claws and teeth, "I see why Superboy _hates_ you guys." She grumbled under her breath.

Suddenly a pink disk came sailing the waterbender's way. The energy orb collided with the collar wrapped around the monkey's neck, shorting it out before it slipped off the creature.

Nightfall and the monkey shared perturbed looks, each blinking wildly before the monkey suddenly screamed. Nightfall made a similar noise and dropped the screeching beast onto the ground, where it then scampered off into the jungle.

Mild heart attack aside, the waterbender didn't get much of a chance to recuperate before another team of screaming monkeys locked onto her position. They raced at her, feet thudding softly against the ground, screeches growing louder as they came closer. With a flick of her wrist, Nightfall whipped out the remaining water from her water pouch.

She snapped her arm forward, the water doing her bidding and Nightfall felt giddy at the fact her powers seemed to be cooperating with her once more. The monkeys blinked and slowed to a halt as they suddenly found themselves being splashed harmlessly in the face, and Nightfall frowned.

Instead of a solid stream of water knocking the primates back like she had hoped, all she did was give them a mild bath.

With quick shakes of their heads, the monkeys picked up their screaming once more before continuing their charge. Nightfall shrieked and tossed her hands up to block her face. She let out an _oof_ as she landed harshly on her back, the monkey that lead the charge tackling her to the ground. It clawed and snapped at her face, and the waterbender used her arms to block the attacks.

During a particularly harsh bite, the monkey's teeth latched onto one of the girl's arm bracers. It bit down, puncturing the bracer and creating a hole in one of her hidden water pouches. Nightfall spluttered as the water from the hidden pouch rained down on her, and after a few moments of randomly thrashing, she finally got her feet underneath the monkey.

Thrusting her feet outwards, she kicked the monkey off her, swatting another one away that aimed to take its place. She hurried to climb to her feet and scampered away.

The howling behind her suddenly stopped, and Nightfall slowed her pace before glancing cautiously over her shoulder. She had turned just in time to watch the trio of monkeys that were chasing her scamper off, their collars freshly removed. Robin frowned at the girl, a few birdarangs in his hands as precaution, before he jogged to her side, quickly noting her lack of weapons- and water.

"Where's your staff?"

"An, uh, alligator ate it?"

"An _alligator_?"

"Yeah, so uh, could I get a new one?" Nightfall asked sheepishly, rubbing the back of her neck.

Robin chuckled, pausing to launch his prepared birdarangs at some monkeys that were encroaching on Nightlight, before he reached into his utility belt. When he pulled his hand back out, he had another staff that he passed to the girl. She took it gratefully, offering him a quick thank you as Robin explained that it was actually his escrima sticks latched together, so he _definitely_ wanted it back.

 _'We need to get inside the building.'_ Aqualad's voice echoed in their heads.

Nightfall separated from Robin, whacking away a monkey that tried to bite her once more.

 _I hope none of these guys have_ rabies _._

The monkey flopped onto the ground, and before it could get up, Kid Flash zipped by and snapped its collar off. He winked at the waterbender, a light blush dusting her cheeks from the action, before a chilling roar caught their attention.

The door to the building were now open, but an oversized ape- Guerilla Gorilla- stood within the opening. His massive body blocked most of the opening, and he carried an oversized gun, one that he was oh so happily pointing at the team.

Kid Flash and Nightfall shared perplexed and concerned looks, which quickly morphed to fear as he opened fire on the two. The speedster was quick to scoop Nightfall up into his arms, zipping away and weaving around the gunfire. As bullets littered the battleground, the team was forced to momentarily retreat to avoid being hit.

 _'I think I can slip by him.'_ Miss Martian informed, and when Nightfall went to look for the girl, she was already hidden in camouflage mode. Aqualad frowned but gave the Martian the go ahead.

She flew forward and toward the opening, but Nightfall lost sight of her teammate when she was forced to duck behind the tree once more. Kid Flash had wrapped his arms around the girl for more protection as shards of bark reigned down upon them.

A sudden flash of pink illuminated the area, and Nightfall peaked out from her cover to see Nightlight floating in front of the team, arms outstretched. Her eyes glowed slightly brighter as she focused on the shield she had created to protect the team from Guerilla Gorilla's gunfire.

 _'I'm i- ah!'_ Miss Martian suddenly cried out, and Nighfall watched in horror as the oversized beast grabbed the girl, despite her being in camouflage mode. He slammed her onto the ground, ceasing his open fire on the team, and Miss Martian cried out in pain. She reappeared in view, Gorilla Guerilla pinning her down on the ground.

The oversized gun whirred as it powered up, the primate taking aim at the slightly disoriented Miss Martian. Nightlight dropped her shield just as Aqualad shouted, "Kid, go!"

Without a moment to lose, the speedster took off across the battlefield, racing to the Martian's aid, "Get your hands off her, you damn, dirty, _ape_!"

Guerilla Gorilla stood tall and snarled at the incoming speedster. He puffed his chest, and Kid Flash rammed straight into it, which then sent him flying away. Nightfall flinched as he bounced harshly on the rough jungle floor.

Though Kid Flash's rescue didn't go as intended, it proved to be useful distraction. Just as the primate turned to deal with Miss Martian once more, she used her telekinesis to launch him into the building. This created a large sized hole, and the team was quick to run into it.

Nightfall clenched her new- and temporary- staff as the dust began to settle and the team readied themselves for further battle. Captain Marvel made a happy noise as his eyes settled on the gathered heroes, but he looked a bit worse for way. Numerous thick, metal straps were laid across his body, holding him in place, and there was an inhibitor collar strapped across his neck. She assumed this was preventing him from escaping.

"It's the Brain!" Kid Flash cried out; voice clearly surprised.

Artemis scoffed, "Ugh, I _see_ it's a brain!"

"Not _a_ brain, _the_ Brain!" The speedster snapped back. Nightfall had loosely heard of the supervillain from her father, but she didn't know much about him.

"In the flesh," The Brain rolled forward and more into the light, and Nightfall did her best to mask the disgusted look that appeared on his face, " _Er,_ so to speak." The Brain was literally just that- a squishy, pink brain attached to an oversized vacuum for a body. Oh, and it had a French accent?

 _Villains these days were just so weird._

"Mallah."

The gorilla pulled out a remote, and a set of pylons suddenly shot up from the floor. Nightfall eyed them suspiciously before they suddenly hummed to life, glowing a dull blue and the girl suddenly lost all feeling in her body. She collapsed to the floor, alongside the rest of the team, and despite her best efforts, she couldn't even move her pinky toe.

Nightfall could feel panic starting to well up within her at her inability to move.

 _'Miss Martian, Superboy, now!'_ Aqualad commanded over the still active mind link. Miss Martian's eyes glowed a soft green, and suddenly the remote was ripped out of Guerilla Gorilla's grip. It sped through the air, coming to a stop just above the Martian's face. With a simple thought, the button was pressed and the pylons were turned off.

Relief flooded through Nightfall's body as she climbed to her feet, fully able to move once more. She picked up her discarded staff, slipping into a defensive stance. The gorilla growled as he prepared to face down the team once more, until the wall behind him suddenly erupted.

Debris reigned down on the Brain and Mallah, and when the dust settled, Superboy was revealed to be the cause of the demolition. His shirt was torn, bite marks and scratches littering his body, but that wasn't the most surprising part.

No, Nightfall was most surprised by the oversized white _wolf_ that stood protectively at his side. It growled lowly before charging forward and jumping onto the gorilla's back, pushing him into the ground as the primate tried to stand.

Kid Flash attacked next, racing towards the gorilla and this time, instead of ramming the beast with his whole _body_ , the speedster slammed his feet into Mallah's chest. The gorilla went skidding back a few feet, immediately blind firing at the spot Kid Flash once stood. Nightlight flew in next, a barrage of energy disks colliding with the beast.

Guerilla Gorilla's gunfire ceased as he swatted blindly at the bright disks, and this distraction allowed Robin to swoop in. The boy wonder kicked the gorilla in the face, and just as he made a move to grab Robin, Miss Martian caught Mallah with her telekinesis. She tossed him into the ceiling before she slammed him into the ground.

The gorilla stumbled to his feet, and Nightfall whacked him as hard as she could with her staff. She ducked under his arm when he made a wild swipe for her, and dove away just as Superboy leapt at the oversized primate.

Mallah opened fire once more, this time hitting Superboy square in the chest with a barrage of bullets. Luckily the clone was part Kryptonian, which made him bullet proof, and he was only knocked back a few feet.

Artemis let loose an arrow, and it exploded upon hitting the gorilla's back. Robin skidded to her side, pulling out his own explosives and together the two continued to barrage Guerilla Gorilla with explosives. The attack proved successful, and the primate's weapon was destroyed.

With Mallah unarmed, the team formed up and circled the gorilla and the Brain, who had been facing off against Aqualad. Upon realizing they had suddenly become unmatched, the Brain reconvened with his primate partner, which gave Aqualad the chance to free Captain Marvel.

The gorilla shifted uncomfortably and angrily, letting out a fearsome roar as he stared down the team. Superboy scowled and cracked his knuckles, "Try it. I. _Hate_. Monkeys." The wolf growled menacingly at his side.

Mallah growled in retaliation and prepared to charge, but the Brain stopped him from attacking, "No, Mallah, this will not be our _Waterloo_." The villains voice was menacing, and suddenly he began to undergo a strange transformation. The machinery around its protective casing shifted and morphed, new arms and appendages appearing as an ominous whirring sound filled the small area, " _Au revoir, mes amis._ "

Kid Flash's eyes widened as the rest of the team went on alert, each drawing the same conclusion that this was some strange- and dangerous- new weapon, "Quick, get down!" The speedster warned.

Nightfall tossed her arms up, aiming to protect her face, as Nightlight created another shield. She was only able to surround Nightfall, Kid Flash, Robin, Artemis, and Miss Martian with the barrier, as Superboy and Aqualad were on the opposite side, but those two were the most durable of the bunch.

They were fully prepared for an explosion of any magnitude, but instead they were greeted by sudden darkness as the lights in the lab vanished. A few seconds passed, and a single light flickered back on ominously. Nightfall hesitantly peaked out from behind her arms, and Nightlight cautiously dropped her shield.

"Wait…" Kid Flash looked confused, and Artemis and Nightfall shared a befuddled look as the rest of the team looked around, "that big weapon thingy was a… _light switch_?"

Aqualad's voice was solemn when he spoke next, "No, it was just a _distraction_ for their escape."

And sure enough, Aqualad was correct, as both the Brain and Mallah were nowhere to be found.

* * *

With help from Robin's holo-computer, the team had managed to track down the rest of the collared animals in the jungle. It took them almost the rest of the night to free the animals from the Brain's control, and Nightfall felt as if her body would crumble any second now from fatigue.

And she could tell most of the team felt the same way.

Despite the fatigue that lingered within the team, their spirits were pretty high right now. The tension that had haunted the mission had seemingly dissipated, almost as if the lot had forgotten about the fight before their trip to India. Aqualad eyed each of his teammates as they trekked through the jungle, watching as they conversed amongst themselves.

Kid Flash was smirking to himself, and Artemis eyed him curiously, "What are _you_ grinning about?"

The speedster pulled out a piece of red fabric- Mallah's discarded red beret- and tossed it onto his head with a large grin, "One word: _souvenir_."

"Two words:" Artemis picked up her pace and mimicked his tone, " _Gorilla lice_."

It took a moment for her words to register, and when they did, Kid Flash ripped the beret off his head with panic. Wide, green eyes stared at the beret as he held it as far from himself as possible, "Oh man!"

Nightfall chuckled and smiled up at the redhead, "I'm sure a few trips through the wash and it'll be _gorilla lice_ free."

"Always looking on the bright side of things, babe!" Kid Flash beamed before tossing a casual arm over the shorter girl's shoulder.

The waterbender let his arm stay where it was, and she even went as far as to lean her head on his shoulder. It was a comforting motion more than it was a romantic one, and together the two entered the clearing where the bioship had been parked.

Aqualad had positioned himself beside the bioship, where he snapped the last collar off the only remaining trapped animal. Captain Marvel turned to the large tiger that stood beside him, a grin on his face as he spoke to his new animal friend, "That's the last of the collars?" The tiger roared in response, and Nightfall assumed it meant ' _yes_ ', "And I can count on you to keep the other animals out of trouble?" The tiger growled, "Good." The Leaguer stroked the tiger's head affectionately, and the animal purred in response, "I'll be back for a visit, I promise."

The tiger rubbed its head against the Leaguer one last time, Captain Marvel scratching under its chin. They separated, the giant tiger racing off into the jungle. Instead of looking sad as his new friend departed, Captain Marvel sported a soft smile, "I think I'll call him Mister Tawny." He said to no one in particular.

Nightlight quirked a brow, "I didn't know you could talk to animals?"

He turned towards the girl with a large grin, "Neither did I! Cool, right?"

"The rest of the pack is gone, what are you still doing here?" Superboy was petting the large wolf that had followed him the whole night. His tail was wagging madly, almost like an oversized puppy, as he soaked up the attention from the clone.

"I think he wants to stay with you." Miss Martian smiled at her boyfriend.

He looked up at her, blue eyes wide with hope, "Can I keep him?"

Nightfall and Kid Flash approached the duo, the speedster dropping his arm to place his hands on his hips, " _Ha_." He snorted, "First the sphere, and now _this_ beast? Dude, you sure make a habit of collecting strays."

"Maybe that's because he's such a stray himself." Miss Martian affirmed before kneeling down. She reached out, placing a hand on the clone's shoulder. The two stared at each other, miniscule movements giving hints that the two were having a telepathic conversation.

Well Superboy was distracted by his girlfriend, Nightfall swooped in to shower the wolf with love and affection. She cooed as she scratched behind his ears, squealing as he licked her face, leaving it soaked with saliva. The wolf's fur was incredibly soft, and the waterbender was smitten with him immediately.

Nightfall murmured sweet nothings into his ears, trying to persuade the furry beast to ditch Superboy and come home with her instead. Kid Flash eyed the girl with amusement, "Nighty, what are you doing?"

"Do you think my dad would let me keep him?"

"You live in Gotham, right?" She nodded, "Then no." Nightfall frowned, and the speedster chuckled, "Besides, it looks like he's pretty attached to Supey here."

Sure enough, when the waterbender had paused in her affection, the wolf had returned to the Kryptonian's side. He rubbed his head against Superboy's back, drawing the clone's attention from Miss Martian and bringing their telepathic conversation to an end.

Superboy smiled, and immediately pulled the large beasts head into his hands, "Hey, boy."

"Whelp, he's gonna need a name." Kid Flash informed, and Nightfall pursed her lips in thought, "How about Krypto?" He suggested.

"Pass." Superboy was quick to deny, the wolf growling in agreeance.

"Besides, isn't that taken?" Miss Martian questioned. She made eye contact with Nightfall, who shrugged.

Their conversation was cut short, however, as someone cleared their throat. The four turned their attention towards the bioship, where Aqualad stood on the ramp, an unusually quiet Robin beside him.

"Look," The boy wonder started, voice hesitant, "I need to know… why did you keep the mole intel a secret?"

All eyes were on Aqualad now, and his jaw clenched, "The source of the tip was Sporstmaster.

Artemis was the first to react, eyes going wide as she practically shouted, " _What_?! You can't trust him!" Nightfall was a bit taken aback by the archer's outburst but kept silent as their leader continued his explanation.

"I do not." The Atlantean asserted, "It seemed possible, even likely, that he was attempting to divide the team with false information."

Robin's lips pursed as he digested this information, and he ran a hand through his messy locks, "And given how this mission went, he nearly succeeded," He admitted with a heavy breath, "but you had to consider it might be true."

"Yes, as leader, I did. In which case, I did not wish to alert the traitor."

There was a brief pause, the team soaking in Aqualad's explanation. Nightfall felt a wave of guilt wash over her at her reaction to the initial mole news, and from the solemn expressions on each of her teammates faces, she could tell the feeling was mutual.

They never gave their leader a chance.

"Hate to say it, but… makes sense." Robin finally announced, a smile on his face.

"I am still prepared to step down."

Kid Flash shared a look with Nightlight, the pink eyed girl nodding before the speedster called out, "All in favor of keeping Aqualad as team leader?"

Everyone's hands shot into the air, and the Atlantean released the breath he didn't realize he had been holding.

Captain Marvel beamed as he watched Aqualad stand taller. He walked over to the boy, clapping a hand on his shoulder, "Guess it's unanimous." The two shook hands, and the Leaguer's smile grew even more, "See you tomorrow!"

Aqualad looked confused, "You are not coming back with us?"

"Nah, gotta fly!" Captain Marvel bid the team a vague farewell and took off into the sky before disappearing into the horizon.

Following Captain Marvel's lead, the team made their way towards the bioship, fully ready to leave India and go home.

Nightfall was fully prepared to sleep for _at least_ a week.

"So, what are you going to call him?" Miss Martian asked as she boarded the bioship alongside Superboy.

The clone's brow furrowed, "What's wrong with Wolf?"

"It's a bit generic, don't you think?" Kid Flash shot back. Superboy frowned at him, and Nightlight elbowed his side. The speedster scowled at her as she spoke.

"It's simple. I like it."

At Nightlight's admission, Kid Flash relented, "I _guess_ it's acceptable."

Robin cackled as Nightfall slipped into her seat in front of the boy wonder, "Dude, like you had _any_ say in the matter."

"My _opinion_ matters." The speedster admonished.

This caused Artemis to snort, "Keep telling yourself that, Kid Idiot."

He immediately turned on the archer, letting loose his own quip and Nightfall pinched the bridge of her nose as the two dissolved into yet _another_ argument, with Nightlight immediately trying to break it up.

Aqualad couldn't help the small smile that settled on his face as he stepped aboard the bioship. Though this mission had proved to be almost catastrophic, the atmosphere on the bioship felt familiar and comforting, the exact opposite of the angry and tense one that companioned them on their way to India.

 _Things were seemingly back to normal._

* * *

 ** _A/N:_ Hey guys! So sorry for the long delay between chapter updates. I got married a month ago, so up until my wedding, my attention was focused on preparing for it and getting everything in order! I've had most of this chapter done for a while, but it's not my favorite episode so it took a bit for me to get through it. **

**Don't forget to drop a review! Tell me what you think and leave any questions you may have for Nightfall and Nightlight!**

 **Thanks for all your patience, your support means a lot!**

 **-SnowWolf22**


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